Virus Outbreak: Four imported cases with UK strain found: CECC
GENOME SEQUENCING: The likely more transmissable virus strain was found in previously confirmed cases who did not pose a risk to local communities, the center said
By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
Four COVID-19 cases in Taiwan were confirmed to be infected with the new virus strain discovered last month in the UK, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday, as it also reported two new imported cases.
As the new COVID-19 variant is believed to be much more transmissible than other strains, the CECC in the past few weeks began genome sequencing of samples from confirmed cases with high viral loads.
Virus Outbreak: CECC reports six new imported cases
QUARANTINED: Three of the six patients had low cycle thresholds, suggesting recent infections, even though they had provided negative PCR tests, Chuang Jen-hsiang said
By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported six imported cases of COVID-19 from Indonesia, the Philippines, the UK and the US three of whom showed symptoms in Taiwan.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is the CECC’s spokesman, said one of the cases is a British man in his 30s who arrived in Taiwan for work on Wednesday.
CECC downplays results of blood test study
By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday downplayed a study earlier this year by Taipei Veterans General Hospital that suggested about 11,800 adults in Taiwan might have contracted the virus that causes COVID-19, based on a seroprevalence rate of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 of 0.05 percent.
The center said the study, which was published in the international medical journal
Lancet Regional Health Western Pacific in October, cannot reflect the general population.
The study’s researchers used residual specimens from blood tests administered to 14,765 adults that visited the hospital’s outpatient and emergency departments over two periods May 25 to 30 and July 6 to 8 and screened them for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.