Taiwan Government-Guided Strategies Contributed to Combating and Controlling COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is highly contagious, and thus has become an emerging health crisis worldwide. The optimal strategies to prevent the spread of this disease are inconclusive, and therefore, the adopted measurements to combat COVID-19 varies in different countries. In mid-March and late-August 2020, we performed internet searches to collect relevant information, from sources such as the website of the World Health Organization. The epidemiological data of COVID-19 from several countries were collected and we found that Taiwan had a comparably successful story for combating the pandemic. As of mid-March, Taiwan had high rates of diagnostic testing (688.5 tests per million citizens) with a lower infection rate (49 cases, 2.1 cases per million people). As of late-August, there were 488 cases (20 cases per million people). Furthermore, Taiwanese government-guided strategies and hospital data were also reviewed. We summarized some important strategies to combat COVID-19, which include: (1) border control; (2) official media channel and press conferences; (3) name-based rationing system for medical masks; (4) TOCC-based rapid triage, outdoor clinics, and protective sampling devices; and (5) social distancing, delaying the start of new semesters, and religious assembly restriction. In conclusion, Taiwan had lower rates of COVID-19 compared with other countries, and Taiwan government-guided strategies contributed to the control of the disease's spread.

Keywords: 2019-nCoV; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; government strategy; novel coronavirus; pandemic; quarantine.

Figure 1

(A) Trend chart of cumulative cases of COVID-19 in some countries and government-guided strategies in Taiwan (as of 11 March 2020). (B) Trend chart of cumulative cases of COVID-19 in some countries (as of late August 2020).

Figure 2

Tents as “outdoor clinics”.

Figure 3

Homemade “sampling shield” for nasal swab testing.