US 'could learn from Taiwan’s #COVID-19 response measures'

In an article titled Response to COVID-19 in Taiwan: Big Data Analytics, New Technology, and Proactive Testing, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on 3 March,  scholars at Stanford University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) praised Taiwan’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak, adding that the US could learn from Taiwan’s response measures. 

On 20 January, Taiwan activated the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) to coordinate efforts to contain the outbreak, which has since implemented at least 124 measures to prevent the spread of the disease, the article said. These have included measures regarding border controls, case identification, quarantine, resource allocation, delivering information to the public, and extending school vacation closures.

The article also highlighted Taiwan’s integrating patients’ travel histories into their national health insurance (NHI) cards, which has allowed hospitals and clinics easier access to this information. Daily press briefings by the CECC and additional announcements by Vice President Chen Chien-jen, an epidemiologist by profession, has also educated the public about the disease.

Through early recognition of the crisis, daily briefings to the public, and simple health messaging, the government was able to reassure the public by delivering timely, accurate and transparent information regarding the evolving epidemic, the article concluded.