Taoyuan Armed Forces General Hospital

On April 1, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced six new confirmed imported cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Taiwan. Those six new cases arrived in Taiwan from Paraguay (Case #1032), Ireland (Case #1033), the United Arab Emirates (Case #1034), the Philippines (Cases #1035 and #1037), and Indonesia(Case #1036).

Case #1032 is an over 20-year-old male from Paraguay. The Paraguayan man took a flight to Taiwan from Paraguay, transiting through Brazil and Dubai, for studies on March 5. He was tested for COVID-19 on March 6 and March 18, and the test results came back negative. As he planned to return to school, he visited the hospital to take a self-paid test on March 29. Infection with COVID-19 was laboratory-confirmed in the case on April 1(the CT value was 32; he tested negative after given another RT-PCR test, and he tested negative for IgM and positive for IgG antibodies).

Case #1033 is an over 20-year-old male from Ireland. The Irish man was diagnosed with COVID-19 in his home country on January 8. He was given tests on January 21 and March 12, and both of the test results came back negative. He traveled to Taiwan for work on March 15. After completing the quarantine period on March 30, he visited the hospital to take a self-paid test. Infection with COVID-19 was laboratory-confirmed in the case on April 1 (the CT value was 33; he tested negative after given another RT-PCR test, and he tested positive for both IgM and IgG antibodies). The Irish man didn’t experience any symptoms during his stay in Taiwan.

Case #1034 is a Taiwanese female in her 50s. She returned to Taiwan from Dubai on March 5. She didn’t show any symptoms while she was in Taiwan. As she planned to go abroad, the Taiwanese woman took a self-paid test on March 24 and March 30, respectively. Infection with COVID-19 was laboratory-confirmed in the case on April 1 (the CT value was 32; she had a CT value of 38 after given another test, and she tested positive for both IgM and IgG antibodies).

Case #1035 is an over 20-year-old male migrant worker from the Philippines. The Filipino migrant worker came to Taiwan for work on March 17. During the quarantine period, he experienced loss of smell and taste, but he didn’t notify quarantine personnel of his symptoms. He was tested for COVID-19 on March 30, before completing the quarantine period. Infection with COVID-19 was laboratory-confirmed in the case on April 1 (the CT value was 30).

Case #1036 is an over 30-year-old female from the Indonesia. She traveled to Taiwan on March 28. Because she arrived with a fever, airport quarantine officers arranged for her to seek medical care and undergo COVID-19 testing. Infection with COVID-19 was laboratory-confirmed in the case on April (the CT value was 17).

Case #1037 is an over 40-year-old female from the Philippines. She traveled to Taiwan for work on March 24. She developed an abnormal sense of taste on March 30, and the health authority arranged for her to seek medical care and undergo COVID-19 testing the same day. Infection with COVID-19 was laboratory-confirmed in the case on April 1.

The CECC reported that a cumulative total of 190,423 cases related to COVID-19 have been reported in Taiwan among which COVID-19 has been ruled out in 188,263. Of these reported cases, infection with COVID-19 was laboratory-confirmed in 1036 cases. Of the 1036 confirmed cases, 920 are imported; 77 are indigenous; 36 are naval crew members aboard the Panshi fast combat support ship; 2 are infections on an aircraft; 1 case has unknown sources of infection; and 1 case (Case #530) has been removed (Case #530 is not assigned to any patients). Of the confirmed cases, there have been 10 deaths, and 983 patients have been released from isolation, with the other 43 patients remaining hospitalized in isolation.