Delay in COVID antibody results announcement raises questions
ROC Central News Agency
08/24/2020 04:15 PM
Taipei, Aug. 24 (CNA) The results of a large-scale testing program for COVID-19 antibodies by National Taiwan University's (NTU) College of Public Health in collaboration with Changhua County, originally scheduled to be made public Tuesday, has been canceled, professor Chan Chang-chuan (詹長權) from the college announced Sunday.
Chan said the delay was caused by a lack of time to complete "administrative tasks." He did not give a time or date when the rescheduled press conference would take place and could not be reached for further comment by CNA.
Cheng Shou-hsia (鄭守夏), dean of the NTU's College of Public Heath, told CNA that the testing program was Chan's personal project with Changhua County Public Health Bureau and said he is unaware why it has been canceled.
The delay came after a week in which the Central Epidemic Command Center (CEEC), Taiwan's top official government body combating the COViD-19 pandemic, was increasingly critical of the Changhua test program.
On Monday the CEEC called for further explanation as to why the press conference to disclose the results was canceled.
Given the media attention and public interest the testing program has generated, the college should reveal its results or explain why it is unable to do so, CECC spokesperson Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said at a press briefing Monday, citing the advice of CECC chief and Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中).
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Chan posted online a report he wrote for the Chinese -language Apple Daily, in which he said the Changhua testing program, which was initiated on June 11, tested 3,517 medical personnel, 18 positive cases, 827 contacts of positive cases, 4,230 people undergoing home quarantine, and 1,500 senior citizens and their caregivers.
The data collected will help contribute to future disease prevention efforts because the results will shed light on the risk of infection among high-risk groups and the production of antibodies in positive cases, Chan said.
However, he gave no indication when the results will be published.
Over the past few months, Chan has held weekly press conferences at which he has argued in favor of universal PCR testing for arrivals from overseas and antibody testing for those already in the country.
He stressed that the point of antibody testing for the coronavirus is to help determine the true infection rate in the community and guide future policies to prevent the spread of the virus.
(By William Yen and Pheonix Hsu)
Enditem/AW
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