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Taiwan reports 10th case from hospital Covid cluster

10th case is grandmother of 1st infected nurse in hospital cluster

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CECC head Chen Shih-chung. (YouTube, CECC video screenshot)

CECC head Chen Shih-chung. (YouTube, CECC video screenshot)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Wednesday (Jan. 20) announced one new domestic case and one imported case of the Wuhan coronavirus.

On Wednesday, CECC head Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) announced one new domestic coronavirus case and one imported infection, bringing the country's total to 870. The latest domestic case is the grandmother of the first nurse diagnosed in the Taoyuan General Hospital cluster infection.

On Jan. 12, Health Minister and Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) head Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) announced that a doctor and nurse from a "hospital in northern Taiwan" had tested positive for COVID-19 on Jan. 11. The first case of the cluster was Case No. 838, a physician who had been caring for a Taiwanese male coronavirus patient in his 60s in Taoyuan General Hospital's intensive care unit.

That same day, Case No. 839, a nurse, who works on Floor 6A and is also the doctor's live-in partner, tested positive as well. As Case No. 870 is the nurse's grandmother and lives with her, she began home isolation and was tested for the virus that day, but the result came back negative.

However, the elderly woman began to develop a fever on Jan. 18 and underwent a second test for the disease. On Jan. 20, she was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Since the cluster infection broke out at the hospital on Jan. 12, two doctors, four nurses, three relatives of confirmed cases, and one foreign caregiver have tested positive for the coronavirus. A total of 353 hospital employees have entered emergency isolation.

Chen said because Case No. 870 had been undergoing home isolation for two days before the onset of the illness and before being placed in a hospital isolation ward. Since she did not come into contact with anyone else, no contacts have been listed in her case.

Wednesday's sole imported case is Case No. 871, a Taiwanese woman in her 20s who flew to Spain in December of 2019 to visit friends. On Jan. 8 of this year, she returned to Taiwan.

She had submitted negative the result of a test taken within three days of her flight and was sent directly to her residence upon arrival. According to Chen, she developed a cough, sore throat, and abnormal sense of smell on Jan. 17.

On Jan. 18, the health department then arranged for her to go to a hospital to undergo another test. On Jan. 20, she was diagnosed.

The health department has listed two contacts in her case, both of whom are family members who live in the same household. Because they did not wear proper protection when serving her meals, her two family members have been told to undergo home isolation.

Since the outbreak began, Taiwan has carried out 139,990 COVID-19 tests, with 137,156 coming back negative. Out of the 870 officially confirmed cases, 765 were imported, 66 were local, 36 came from the Navy's "Goodwill Fleet," two were from the cargo pilot cluster, one is an unresolved case, and one (Case No. 530) was removed as a confirmed case.

Up until now, seven individuals have succumbed to the disease, while 769 have been released from hospital isolation, leaving 94 patients still undergoing treatment in Taiwan.