Great Idea From Tiawan's CECC

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   Virus Outbreak: CECC shares plan to curb spread of disease

PRACTICAL IDEAS:If the COVID-19 outbreak worsens, medical staff would be divided into teams that would alternate every two weeks to reduce the risk to their colleagues

Staff writer, with CNA

The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Saturday said that it has a series of response measures planned in case COVID-19 begins to spread in communities.

The CECC’s four-part prevention plan is based on Taiwan’s experience of dealing with the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak, Department of Medical Affairs Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said.

The first part of the plan would focus on prevention efforts, as any community-level transmission would cause a sudden spike in the number of confirmed cases, he said, offering no additional details.

In the second part, the CECC would introduce new rules to minimize the risk of infection among healthcare workers, Shih said.

Citing his experience as an emergency room doctor at National Taiwan University Hospital during the SARS outbreak, Shih said the medical staff were split into two teams that alternated every two weeks.

That way, an entire team could be quarantined for two weeks without the risk of infecting their colleagues, he said.

If the COVID-19 outbreak reaches a level of urgency similar to the SARS epidemic, medical staff would again be split into teams, and their movements within the hospital would be limited to minimize contact with patients, he said.

Third, medical resources would be allocated to ensure they reach the people who need them the most, Shih said.

The country’s 1,100 negative-pressure isolation units are at 60 percent capacity, Shih said, adding that they are available for anyone who contracts COVID-19 and for those being tested for the virus based on factors such as their travel history.

However, if a community-level outbreak were to occur, demand for those units would increase and patients would be treated at other medical institutions, depending on the severity of their symptoms, he said.

Hospitals would be selected on the basis of their “emergency responsibility levels” — a set of standards that regulate the types of emergency services hospitals can provide, based on their staffing levels and technical capabilities, Shih said.

The fourth aspect of the plan involves reducing the number of people seeking non-essential medical treatment, Shih said.

In terms of implementation, Shih said that the CECC would discuss the measures with public health experts next week and would start working with medical institutions once a consensus has been reached.

sOURCE:   http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2020/02/24/2003731524

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Technophobe Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Assistant Admin Joined: January 16 2014 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 88450	Post Options Post Reply Quote Technophobe Report Post Thanks(1) Quote Reply Topic: Great Idea From Tiawan's CECC Posted: February 24 2020 at 6:32am
	Virus Outbreak: CECC shares plan to curb spread of disease PRACTICAL IDEAS:If the COVID-19 outbreak worsens, medical staff would be divided into teams that would alternate every two weeks to reduce the risk to their colleagues Staff writer, with CNA The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Saturday said that it has a series of response measures planned in case COVID-19 begins to spread in communities. The CECC’s four-part prevention plan is based on Taiwan’s experience of dealing with the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak, Department of Medical Affairs Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said. The first part of the plan would focus on prevention efforts, as any community-level transmission would cause a sudden spike in the number of confirmed cases, he said, offering no additional details. In the second part, the CECC would introduce new rules to minimize the risk of infection among healthcare workers, Shih said. Citing his experience as an emergency room doctor at National Taiwan University Hospital during the SARS outbreak, Shih said the medical staff were split into two teams that alternated every two weeks. That way, an entire team could be quarantined for two weeks without the risk of infecting their colleagues, he said. If the COVID-19 outbreak reaches a level of urgency similar to the SARS epidemic, medical staff would again be split into teams, and their movements within the hospital would be limited to minimize contact with patients, he said. Third, medical resources would be allocated to ensure they reach the people who need them the most, Shih said. The country’s 1,100 negative-pressure isolation units are at 60 percent capacity, Shih said, adding that they are available for anyone who contracts COVID-19 and for those being tested for the virus based on factors such as their travel history. However, if a community-level outbreak were to occur, demand for those units would increase and patients would be treated at other medical institutions, depending on the severity of their symptoms, he said. Hospitals would be selected on the basis of their “emergency responsibility levels” — a set of standards that regulate the types of emergency services hospitals can provide, based on their staffing levels and technical capabilities, Shih said. The fourth aspect of the plan involves reducing the number of people seeking non-essential medical treatment, Shih said. In terms of implementation, Shih said that the CECC would discuss the measures with public health experts next week and would start working with medical institutions once a consensus has been reached. sOURCE: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2020/02/24/2003731524
	How do you tell if a politician is lying? His lips or pen are moving.

BeachMama Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List V.I.P. Member Joined: January 25 2020 Location: Southwest US Status: Offline Points: 3080	Post Options Post Reply Quote BeachMama Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: February 24 2020 at 8:38am
	This is SMART!!!

CRS, DrPH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Expert Level Adviser Joined: January 20 2014 Location: Arizona Status: Offline Points: 26660	Post Options Post Reply Quote CRS, DrPH Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: February 24 2020 at 8:48am
	Thanks, Techno! I've noticed that medical veterans of the SARS outbreak are stepping up and taking leadership roles. This is a good plan, except that the incubation period for the SARS-CoV2 agent for COVID-19 may be longer than two weeks. It is a logical start for sure. It always saddens me that front-line medical workers are the canaries in the mine shaft for these outbreaks....the story about Dr. Carlo Urbani, the Italian doctor who stayed at his post during SARS, is particularly sad. Dr Urbani, an expert in parasitic infections, was working in the WHO Country office in Hanoi at the time that SARS, a highly infectious and lethal disease, started to spread. In early 2003, while serving as an infectious disease specialist, he responded to a request from the French Hospital in Hanoi to assist in investigating a “severe case of flu”. After examining the patient, his diagnosis was clear: this was an unusual case of an “unknown contagious disease”. Responding to the gravity of the situation, Dr Urbani alerted WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. His prompt action helped to contain the epidemic by triggering a global public health response that eventually saved the lives of countless people. For the sake of public health and safety, Dr Urbani spent several days at the hospital coordinating infection control, quarantine interventions and maintaining the morale of hospital staff. He lived up to his conviction that it is a doctor’s duty to “stay close to the victims”. On 11 March 2003 during a flight to Bangkok to attend a conference, Dr Urbani developed symptoms of SARS. He died of complication related to SARS on 29 March 2003 – a public health hero.
	CRS, DrPH