Two more cases of U.K. COVID-19 variant confirmed, one on respirator
ROC Central News Agency
01/06/2021 09:17 PM
Taipei, Jan. 6 (CNA) Two more individuals who recently traveled from the United Kingdom to Taiwan have been confirmed to be infected with the U.K. variant of the COVID-19 virus, one of whom is currently on a respirator, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Wednesday.
Both of the patients are British men, one in his 30s and the other in his 70s, Health and Welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the CECC, said at a press conference.
The patient on the respirator is in his 70s and came to Taiwan to visit family on Dec. 18. He began to have a cough, sore throat, shortness of breath and fatigue during quarantine and was confirmed to have COVID-19 on Dec. 31, according to the CECC.
He is now the only COVID-19 patient in Taiwan on a respirator, although his condition has continued to stabilize, said CECC advisor Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳).
The severity of his illness is likely due to underlying health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, Chang said.
Taiwan has now recorded four individuals who have been infected by the new variant of the COVID-19 virus first detected in the U.K. The variant is believed to be more infectious than previous strains, although there is no evidence so far that suggests it causes more severe symptoms.
Also on Wednesday, Chang provided an overview of the 817 COVID-19 cases recorded in Taiwan as of Tuesday.
Of the total, 88.3 percent, or 722 patients, have been classified as imported, while 6.9 percent, or 56 patients, have been deemed local infections, Chang said.
Another 36 were part of a cluster infection on board a Republic of China (Taiwan) naval flotilla and two others on an EVA Airways cargo plane, he said.
As of Tuesday, 700 patients had been discharged from hospital, 110 were still receiving treatment and seven had died.
In terms of gender, 388 of the patients were male and 429 were female. Age-wise, five were under 10 years old, 35 were aged 10-19, 316 aged 20-29, 207 aged 30-39, 94 aged 40-49, 77 aged 50-59, and 83 were 60 years old or older.
Taiwan has recorded the most imported cases from Indonesia, with 160 cases, followed by the United States (133), the Philippines (102), the U.K. (86) and France (34), Chang said.
Of the 570 cases that have experienced symptoms, over half have had a cough, around 45 percent have had a fever, and nearly 30 have had a runny nose, he said.
A little over 20 percent had a distorted sense of smell, while nearly 15 percent had a distorted sense of taste, he added.
In terms of the severity of their conditions, 651 patients (80 percent) were classified as mild cases, 117 (14 percent) had pneumonia, and 49 (6 percent) had severe pneumonia or respiratory distress syndrome, he said.
Twenty-eight people (3.4 percent) have had to use respirators, seven of whom later died, including three who also had to be put on extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
Since November, the vast majority of the COVID-19 cases in Taiwan have been mild cases, with 253 of 262 patients in this category, Chang said.
Chang also said that the average amount of time COVID-19 patients have had to stay in hospital has decreased.
Patients admitted before March 1 spent an average 28 days in hospital before being discharged, those admitted from April to mid-June spent on average 23 days, and those admitted after Nov. 1 and have already been discharged averaged 15.5 days in hospital.
The shortened time is because many recent hospitalized COVID-19 cases have been those in the latter stages of infection, Chang explained.
(By Chiang Yi-ching)
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