Transmission Dynamics and Effectiveness of Control Measures during COVID-19 Surge, Taiwan, April–August 2021

Abstract

began infecting humans in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Within 1 year, SARS-CoV-2 spread to nearly all countries, and >178 million infections and 3.7 million deaths were reported by April 2021. Taiwan, an island with 23.8 million inhabitants, reported only slightly more than 1,000 cases by April 2021, despite being located close to the original epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak. At that time, most infections confirmed in Taiwan were acquired abroad, and <10% were acquired locally.The subsequent emergence of more transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants led to multiple introductions from those traveling to and from Taiwan, initiating cryptic transmissions in the capital city of Taipei and its surroundings in April 2021. Newly detected clusters of the virus led to an explosive growth in cases, and daily reported case numbers reached 200 by mid-May. The sudden increase in cases prompted the government to implement stricter control measures to prevent disease spread, and those measures proved effective in bringing the epidemic under control by the end of July. Those preventive measures included restricting public movement, enforcing compulsory shortening of business hours, implementing workfrom-home for nonessential businesses, banning inrestaurant dining, and canceling social and religious gatherings. By October 2021, Taiwan was again reporting 0 cases daily.The initial clusters of infections in 2021 were linked to international pilots and flight crew members, but the major epidemic hotspots were identified as owners and visitors of tea houses, which are landmarks in some districts of Taipei. Although tea houses in Taipei typically offer tea and other refreshments during the day, some also conduct business in the evening, when the potential for activities that increase risk for the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (e.g., close physical contact) is greater and timely detection of infections can be hindered (1-3). In nightlife districts across the city, patrons and staff of tea houses and other establishments often are unwilling to share contact and travel histories with public health officials. Outside of Taipei and New Taipei City, clusters of infections were frequently linked to factories or other production sites, affecting vulnerable social groups such as migrant workers. Some initial clusters were linked to local markets and initiated by vendors traveling to the Taipei area for commercial purposes.

The Perspectives of Community Pharmacists Toward the Name-Based Rationing System During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Taiwan: Cross-Sectional Survey Study (Preprint)

“…The first surge of COVID-19 cases in Taiwan occurred in late April 2021, with a total of 8,924 and 4,871 confirmed cases in May and June 2021, respectively [3]. This facilitated the government to implement stricter nationwide control measures such as a mask mandate, a ban on in-restaurant dining, work-from-home policies for nonessential businesses, and the cancellation of social and religious gatherings, resulting in Taiwan reporting zero daily cases by October 2021 [6,7]. Amidst the ongoing efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, community pharmacists leveraged their existing network with the public, played a vital role in supporting the community, and significantly contributed to disease control.…”

“…The limitations of this study include the relatively small sample size (n=343) limited to two cities, Taipei City and New Taipei City. These two cities were focused since they reported the highest number of COVID-19 caused death and were in need of strengthened epidemic prevention measures during the pandemic [3,7]. Additionally, the involvement of NHI pharmacies in these cities towards COVID-19 related policies was higher than in other cities [21].…”

Population Behavior Changes Underlying Phasic Shifts of SARS-CoV-2 Exposure Settings Across 3 Omicron Epidemic Waves in Hong Kong: Prospective Cohort Study

“…As an integral part of NPIs, different combinations of social distancing interventions were implemented worldwide to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of regulatory restriction was shown to have effectively blocked transmission chains associated with social events [ 11 ], while prohibiting dine-in services and imposing a work from home (WFH) order were deemed to have rapidly brought down the scale of virus spread [ 12 ]. A multi-country analysis in 2020-2022 also revealed the fluctuation in social contact patterns in different settings during the pandemic and highlighted its connection with different containment measures [ 13 ].…”

Analysis of effectiveness and outcome of traumatic brain injury treatment in ED during COVID-19 pandemic: A multicenter in Taiwan

“…[8] However, a community-spreading outbreak began in May 2021. [9] All medical personnel in the ED face many panic patients with fever, sore throat, and cough, regardless of severity. The need for oxygen and protective protection equipment has increased.…”