Vice President Chen Chien-jen sat down for an interview with news network France 24 held via video link May 8 at the Presidential Office in Taipei City to discuss Taiwan’s experiences combating coronavirus.
In the 12-minute interview, Chen also discussed how Taiwan Can Help during the global crisis and urged the World Health Organization to include the country in all its activities, mechanisms and meetings.
An epidemiologist trained at U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University, Chen said despite being located close to Wuhan, China, where COVID-19 first emerged late last year, Taiwan has managed to avoid lockdowns and mass testing thanks to a well-planned epidemic response based on the lessons learned from the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak.
A variety of measures have contributed to this success, Chen said. These include early diagnosis and treatment of confirmed cases, stringent border and quarantine protocols, social distancing, and use of big data analysis and technology, he added.
According to Chen, Taiwan emailed the WHO on Dec. 31 last year implying the as-yet-unidentified virus was transmitting from person to person in China and requesting further information. No response was forthcoming, and the subsequent announcement of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern Jan. 30 came too late to prevent the virus’s spread, he said.
Based on current understanding of coronaviruses and the time required to produce a vaccine, the vice president said a second wave of infections is likely in the fall and winter.
Taiwan is willing and able to work with the international community to overcome COVID-19, Chen said. But the country needs a seat at the table for the upcoming World Health Assembly in Geneva to effectively share its disease-fighting experience, expertise, knowledge and technology with other nations, he added. (SFC-E)