Focus Taiwan
Date: 01/13/2021
By: Chen Wei-ting and Chiang Yi-ching

Taipei, Jan. 13 (CNA) Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Wednesday it was revising its medical criteria for the discharge of COVID-19 patients in negative pressure isolation rooms in hospital, based on new scientific evidence.

The new evidence shows that a patient is highly unlikely to spread COVID-19 more than 10 days after they first developed symptoms and if their polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for the disease shows a cycle threshold (CT) level of over 30, the CECC said.

Scientists in Taiwan have been unable to cultivate COVID-19 viruses from COVID-19 patients with a CT level of 34 or above, which indicates that such patients are not likely to be contagious, according to CECC advisor Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳).

If a patient, therefore, has passed the 10-day mark and has not had any symptoms for at least three days, they will be discharged from their negative pressure isolation room following two consecutive tests with a CT level of 34 or above, or one negative test and one test with a CT level of 34 or above, the CECC said.    [FULL  STORY]