Research, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
News on disease control, Taiwan, CCP, U.S.
News (1)
Beware! Keypox epidemic has swept the world, affecting at least 110 countries
Reporter : Lan Yuming / Image : Video Screenshot
In May 2022, several cases of monkeypox (keypox, in short, also mpox as used by WHO) occurred in the UK. On 23 July 2022, the World Health Organization officially listed the monkeypox outbreak as a public health event of international concern. The doctor said that the monkeypox epidemic can be prevented with the smallpox vaccine, and Taiwan has also purchased the smallpox vaccine for future preparations.
Image : Dazhi Image Associated Press
Senior reporter Lan Yuming: "In May 2022, several keypox outbreaks occurred in the UK. On 23 July 2022, the World Health Organization officially listed the monkeypox outbreak as a public health event of international concern."
News (2)
More than 74,000 cases of keypox were diagnosed and 162 died
The keypox epidemic has swept the world. Cases were discovered in the UK in May. At first, most of them were in European countries, and then spread to all parts of the world. As of the end of October 2022, 110 countries and regions around the world have been affected by the key pox pandemic. More than 74,000 cases of keypox were diagnosed and 162 died.
Wang Renxian, Chairman of the Epidemic Prevention Society: "The World Health Organization has identified monkeypox as a public health emergency. This identification is based on the revision in 2005. The International Health Regulations is a so-called public health emergency identified by the Emergency Expert Committee. The event is to appeal to all countries, you are obliged to work together to prevent the spread of this disease.”
Keypox is a zoonotic disease caused by monkeypox virus. Early symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills and fatigue. Symptoms usually last for 2 to 4 weeks. Children are more likely to be severely ill. The skin rash is similar to blisters on the patient's body. After healing, many people will still leave acne scars.
Su Yifeng, Physician of Lianyi Yangming Hospital: "The most important thing is to vaccinate the smallpox virus, because monkeypox is one, and the smallpox variant has a weaker version, just like our current covid, which was weaker than SARS before. Like the virus version of smallpox, monkeypox is also a weaker virus version of smallpox, so the previous smallpox vaccines will have a common protection against it.”
Routes of keypox transmission
Analyzing the source of the virus, Dr. Su pointed out that keypox virus and smallpox virus belong to the genus Orthopoxvirus, and the routes of transmission include contact, body fluids or lesion parts of infected animals, eating the meat of infected animals, or being scratched or injured by animals, bites, followed by contact with contaminated objects.
Su Yifeng, Physician of Lianyi Yangming Hospital: "Because of its normal skin contact, it may come into contact with the body fluids and juices of its ruptured pox, so some of them are also medical staff who are taking care of this monkeypox patient. From time to time, there are also reported cases of infection, monkeypox is of course not present, and there are obvious drugs that can treat it, although there are one or two antiviral drugs, which are still being tested in clinical trials to see their effects.”
News (3)
FDA has approved the keypox vaccine
The medical community has further pointed out that most of the confirmed cases of mpox are male-dominated. Studies have found that risky sexual behavior and multiple sexual partners are also one of the main reasons for the spread of monkeypox. Due to the rapid spread of the epidemic and the shortage of vaccines, the US FDA has urgently approved the mpox vaccine in August 2022. It can be administered by "intradermal injection", and the dosage is only one-fifth of the original dosage.
Image : Dazhi Image Associated Press
News (4)
Uneven distribution of keypox vaccines and drugs
Intensive care physician Huang Xuan: "After this incident, all monkeypox drugs and vaccines have been concentrated in Europe and the United States. The uneven distribution of vaccines and drugs around the world has caused problems again. .”
According to the CDC, Taiwan officially announced on 23 June 2022 that monkeypox is a second-class legal infectious disease. As of the end of September, 27 suspected cases have been reported and 3 confirmed cases have been imported from abroad. , and Taiwan has also purchased monkeypox vaccine, a total of 560 doses, the validity period is until 31 May 2024, and it will arrive in Taiwan at the end of September 2022.
News (5)
First-line contact personnel in Taiwan to get smallpox vaccine
Su Yifeng, Physician of Lianyi Yangming Hospital: "We in Taiwan may have to prepare for war, stockpile the smallpox vaccine related to monkeypox, and give it to our first-line contact personnel. In addition, the United States will also let special ethnic groups vaccinate, such as a gay group, and they will also open it up to them and start vaccinating.”
Image : Dazhi Image Associated Press
Prevent keypox epidemic from spreading out of control
The monkeypox epidemic is coming fiercely. It is the most threatening international infectious disease after covid in 2022. Vaccine medical resources should be prepared early to prevent another wave of epidemics from spreading out of control.
News (6)
The CCP claims that it will conduct a military exercise in the airspace of the Taiwan Strait today. The Ministry of National Defense: Military threats and deterrence will not help the international image
Editor : Huang Zishan / https://news.tvbs.com.tw/politics/2000302 / Image : The National Army will continue to strengthen military preparations based on enemy threats and self-defense needs. (Picture/TVBS data screen)
The Eastern Theater Command of the Communist Party of China (CCP) said today that it will hold a joint combat readiness police patrol and fire strike drill in the sea and airspace around Taiwan. The Ministry of National Defense stated in the evening that the "military intimidation" action was clearly aimed at deterring the public's psychology; the National Army used joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance methods to fully grasp relevant developments and dispatch troops to respond in a timely and appropriate manner.
Shi Yi, spokesman for the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese Communist Party, said today that the Eastern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army organized joint combat readiness and police patrols and joint firepower strike drills in the sea and airspace around Taiwan on the 25th. ".
The Ministry of National Defense responded in the evening that the actions of the CCP once again highlighted its mentality of using force to resolve differences and undermine regional peace and stability. The national army uses joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance methods to fully grasp the relevant developments, and in accordance with the principle of "guarding the center line, guarding the territorial sea, and guarding sovereignty", it dispatches troops to respond in a timely and appropriate manner.
The Ministry of National Defense emphasized that the cooperation between Taiwan and the United States will help the freedom, openness, peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region. The National Army will continue to strengthen military preparations based on enemy threats and self-defense needs. The CCP's "military intimidation" actions are clearly aimed at deterring the public's psychology and will not help its international image; the national army is absolutely determined, capable, and confident in defending national sovereignty and ensuring national defense security. (Central News Agency)
News (7)
Chiang Wan-an's small cabinet has not been completed. Members worry: Fear of municipal derailment
Editor : Lin Hongsheng / https://news.tvbs.com.tw/politics/2000135 / Image : Chiang Wan-an, mayor of Taipei. (Photo/Photographed by Lin Zhirou)
In the small cabinet of Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, in addition to Deputy Mayor Lin Yihua who will not take office until next year, Director of the Sports Bureau Wang Hongxiang and Chairman of the Research and Examination Committee Yu Zhenhua have not yet taken office. City Councilor Miao Boya questioned that officials in important positions are not in place, which makes people worry about "municipal derailment".
The Beishi government responded that these three people have original business and will take up their posts as soon as possible depending on the situation.
Jiang Wan'an presided over the swearing-in ceremony of the new deputy mayor and chief executive of the first-level government on 25 December 2022, and read out the Buda order. However, apart from the Kuomintang legislator Lin Yihua who will be appointed as the deputy mayor of Taipei next year, the candidate for the director of the Taipei City Sports Bureau, Wang Hongxiang, the director of education in Yilan County, and Yu Zhenhua, a professor of political science at National Chengchi University who will take over the seminar, have not been sworn in.
Taipei City Government spokesman Luo Wangzhe stated that since Lin Yihua, Wang Hongxiang and Yu Zhenhua have original business, they will take up their posts as soon as possible depending on the situation. As for the timing, Chiang Wan-an respects it.
Sources from the city government revealed that Wang Hongxiang is expected to take office on 6 January 2023, while Yu Zhenhua is the same as Lin Yihua and is expected to take office in February 2023.
Wang Hongxiang was interviewed by the media and said that because Yilan is still confirming the candidate for the new director, in order to avoid gaps in the business handover, he will help out a little more time in Yilan, and will continue to keep in touch with the Taipei City Sports Bureau team during the transition period, "I will do my best on both sides.”
Democratic Progressive Party Taipei City Councilor Jian Shupei criticized that since the election on 26 November, the team should resign and ask for leave. Chiang Wan-an failed the citizens of Taipei, and also highlighted his pride in winning the election arrogantly, "What can you do with me?".
SPD Taipei City Councilor Miao Boya questioned that not only the deputy mayor, but also the chairman of the most important government-level policy project administrator seminar is missing, and the director of the sports bureau responsible for the renovation of the Taipei Arena and the Taipei Athletic Stadium has not been in place for a long time, worrying about derailing the municipality.
In addition, DPP Taipei City Councilor Yan Ruofang pointed out that Jiang Wanan had promised in his election campaign that one-third of the cabinet members of the city government would be women, but the 31 ministerial-level cabinet members currently proposed are only the deputy mayor, the director of the Metropolitan Development Bureau, and the director of the Social Affairs Bureau. There are a total of 5 women, the director of the Guanchuan Bureau, and the director of the public training department. There is obviously a big gap between Chiang Wan-an's promise.
Luo Wangzhe responded that Chiang Wan-an upholds the principle of meritocracy, and gender is an important selection criterion. At the same time, multiple factors such as professionalism are considered in balance. Therefore, in addition to the gender ratio in the future, the newly appointed city government team will also pay attention to gender awareness in regulations and policies, and pursue substantive equal rights. (Central News Agency)
News (8)
Zhejiang said that the number of daily infections exceeded one million, and the National Health Commission no longer reported the epidemic
Reporter : Jing Zhongming / Editor: Lin Qing / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/12/25/a103606437.html /Image : Medical staff unload a covid patient from an ambulance outside a fever clinic at a hospital in Beijing, China, 21 December 2022. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
After Qingdao, Shandong and Dongguan, Guangdong, Zhejiang Province also announced that the number of local infected people is huge. The National Health Commission of the Communist Party of China, which has been repeatedly slapped in the face, announced that it will no longer release daily epidemic information, and instead report it to its subordinate Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
On 25 December, Yu Xinle, deputy director of the Zhejiang Provincial Health Commission, said at the provincial epidemic prevention press conference that the number of new covi-positive cases in Zhejiang Province has exceeded 1 million per day.
He also mentioned that it is expected that the peak period of infection in Zhejiang Province will be reached soon, and it will reach a plateau period around New Year's Day. After reaching the peak, the number of new covi-positive cases in Zhejiang province may be as high as 2 million per day.
The CCP’s official notification of the epidemic has always been based on “political needs.” Whether the number of infections claimed by Zhejiang Province is true remains to be verified.
The CCP’s official media reported that in the past week, the highest number of visits to fever clinics in Zhejiang Province in a single day was 408,400, 14 times the usual number.
On 23 October, Qingdao and Dongguan announced that the city's daily increase in infections was about 500,000 and 300,000 respectively, successively slapping the daily three-digit numbers reported by the National Health Commission.
On the 25th, the National Health Commission of the Communist Party of China announced that it will no longer release daily epidemic information from now on, and its affiliated Center for Disease Control and Prevention will release relevant epidemic information "for reference and research use."
On the same day, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified the continuation of the "style" of the National Health Commission, claiming that the number of new confirmed cases across the country on the 24th was still in triple digits.
On the 21st, a "Minutes of the National Health Commission Meeting on December 21, 2022" was released, which disclosed that from 1 to 20 December 2022, the cumulative number of infected people in China was estimated to be as high as 248 million, accounting for 17.56% of the total population. On 20 December alone, the number of newly infected people in China was close to 37 million.
Later, some U.S. media quoted internal sources and confirmed the authenticity of the meeting minutes.
News (9)
China's epidemic figures and facts are discrepant. Wang Bisheng: Hastily opening transit may impact Kinmen and Matsu
The Executive Yuan recently announced that the three-way connection will be resumed in stages, and the first wave of reopening will be given priority to the people in the Kinmen and Matsu area. Wang Bisheng, the commander of the Central Epidemic Command Center, said in a Facebook post that the current epidemic situation in China has entered an exponential rise. Recently, China’s official figures “obviously have a huge discrepancy with the facts” and rashly opening up “transit” may cause the medical and epidemic prevention capacity of Kinmen and Matsu outlying islands to collapse, which in turn will affect the health and safety of local residents. Out of concern for public health, please do not open it.”
Image of Wang Bisheng : Central Epidemic Command Center
Wang Bisheng pointed out that when considering the opening of the small three links, the epidemic situation on both sides of the strait should be one of the main considerations. However, it is estimated that the current epidemic situation in China has entered an exponential rise period, and the number of infected people should be quite large and continue to increase. However, the number of confirmed cases and deaths previously announced by the National Health Commission is obviously very different from the facts, causing the World Health Organization and other countries' difficulty to estimate its impact. If the "transit" is opened rashly at this time, it may cause the medical and epidemic prevention capacity of the outlying islands to collapse, which will affect the health and safety of local residents.
News (10)
Xiamen and Fuzhou do not check the 48-hour PCR test results, Kinmen team agree with the policy of phased opening up
Wang Bisheng mentioned that according to the investigation information of the command center, the small three-way terminals in Xiamen and Fuzhou did not check the 48-hour PCR report of the passengers who took the boat to Jinma, which is different from the 48-hour PCR report of the passengers returning to Taiwan from the Chinese airport.
In addition, according to a recent survey of Chinese returning to Taiwan from China, the 48-hour PCR inspection for outbound airports has become increasingly loose. With the spread of the epidemic in China, there is worry it is becoming more and more difficult to check the PCR and obtain a report.
Wang Bisheng emphasized that under such circumstances, if the "transit" is allowed, many confirmed passengers will enter the Kinmen and Matsu, and some of them will definitely have a fever or have related symptoms on the spot, including those with serious illnesses who are difficult to seek medical treatment in China. . These patients had to stay in Kinmen and Matsu for testing, isolation or treatment before taking the flight back to Taiwan.
However, Wang Bisheng pointed out that the problem is that the medical and epidemic prevention capacity of Kinmen and Matsu is very limited, which can meet the needs of local residents, but the additional related needs will be a disaster. In terms of the capacity of severe cases, the vacant beds in the intensive care unit of Kinmen and Matsu's hospitals today are only 5 beds and 0 beds respectively. As long as there are patients with exacerbated symptoms in transit (certainly according to the current epidemic situation in China), problems will occur in single digits. Of course, the number of dedicated wards and enhanced anti-epidemic hotels cannot accommodate the continuous transfer passengers under the current severe epidemic situation in China.
Wang Bisheng has been in charge of planning and implementing outlying island medical and epidemic prevention services for a long time. He also served as the director of Kinmen Hospital for 2 years and 2 months. He knows the situation of each outlying island very well. He also went to Kinmen to inspect the current situation.
Wang Bisheng mentioned that both the old and new ruling teams in Kinmen County agree with the phased approach to opening up. The same is true for the information he got from interacting with local residents. The issue of resuming the mini-three links is because the homeland of the people on the outlying islands of Kinmen and Matsu is just a passing through, and the severe epidemic situation on the other side affects the health and safety of the people on these outlying islands. In addition to the overall consideration and prudent approach that the rulers should have, the local government and residents' opinions should also be respected.
News (11)
Restoration of mini-three links is a long term matter, China should be more transparent and open
Wang Bisheng pointed out that it is understandable that many Taiwanese businessmen want to use the mini-three links to return to Taiwan for the New Year, but no one can control the outbreak of the epidemic in China at this moment before the Spring Festival. The restoration of the mini-three links is a long-term matter, not for a certain festival, and a steady and gradual opening up is a good strategy. The evaluation of the epidemic situation will continue, and we also look forward to the early stabilization of the epidemic situation in China and more transparent and open information.
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