Many people are on edge as COVID-19 numbers surge in Taiwan. Hospitals are starting to see an influx of people wanting to get tested for fear of having COVID-19. However, health authorities say that might not be a good idea.
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Hospitals are seeing an influx of people who want to get screened for COVID-19. That’s as Taiwan struggles with surging case numbers amid a shortage of home testing kits.
00:18 Emergency Care Director at Taiwan Adventist Hospital Dr. Han Chang-wan says his ward usually sees around 60 to 80 patients a day. But, that number has grown to 200 to 300 over the past week because people want to get tested for COVID. Han says panic is behind the sudden influx. Many people who come don’t even have symptoms and don’t need to be tested.
This run on hospitals is straining medical resources. Not only that, but people gathering outside of hospitals waiting for a test are further risking contamination.
Taipei City Hospital Dr. Su Yi-feng says people in other countries are allowed to take nasal or saliva samples at home and send them to hospitals for testing. Hospitals will then send their results back within one to two days. Su says such a scheme could spare Taiwan’s healthcare resources.
Doctors are calling on people not to panic and rush to the hospital. Around 99.5% of COVID cases this year have been mild or asymptomatic and many people can recover at home.