Abstract
(1) Background: The implementation of effective control measures in a timely fashion is crucial to control the epidemic outbreak of COVID-19. In this study, we aimed to analyze the control measures implemented during the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as evaluating the responses and outcomes at different phases for epidemic control in Taiwan. (2) Methods: This case study reviewed responses to COVID-19 and the effectiveness of a range of control measures implemented for epidemic control in Taiwan and assessed all laboratory-confirmed cases between 11 January until 20 December 2020, inclusive of these dates. The confirmation of COVID-19 infection was defined as the positive result of a reverse-transcriptase–polymerase-chain-reaction test taken from a nasopharyngeal swab. Test results were reported by the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control. The incidence rate, mortality rate, and testing rate were compiled, and the risk ratio was provided to gain insights into the effectiveness of prevention measures. (3) Results and Discussion: This study presents retrospective data on the COVID-19 incidence rate in Taiwan, combined with the vital preventive control measures, in a timeline of the early stage of the epidemic that occurred in Taiwan. The implementation of multiple strategy control measures and the assistance of technologies to control the COVID-19 epidemic in Taiwan led to a relatively slower trend in the outbreak compared to the neighboring countries. In Taiwan, 766 confirmed patients were included, comprised of 88.1% imported cases and 7.2% local transmission cases, within the studied period. The incidence rate of COVID-19 in Taiwan during the studied period was 32 per million people, with a mortality rate of 0.3 per million people. Our analysis showed a significantly raised incidence risk ratio in the countries of interest in comparison to Taiwan during the study period; in the range of 1.9 to 947.5. The outbreak was brought under control through epidemic policies and hospital strategies implemented by the Taiwan Government. (4) Conclusion: Taiwan’s preventive strategies resulted in a drastically lower risk for Taiwan nationals of contracting COVID-19 when new pharmaceutical drug or vaccines were not yet available. The preventive strategies employed by Taiwan could serve as a guide and reference for future epidemic control strategies.
Highlights
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection was first identified in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019 and has rapidly spread across the world [1]
With the combination of all the epidemic preventive policies and hospital strategies in Taiwan, our analysis showed that citizens of other neighboring countries were 1.9 to 947.5 times more likely to contract COVID-19 than those of Taiwan during the COVID-19 outbreak
Taiwan has taken one step ahead to adopt epidemic preventive policies and hospital strategies designed to avert the effects of the pandemic
Summary
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection was first identified in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019 and has rapidly spread across the world [1]. A broad spectrum of symptoms has been reported, from asymptomatic and mild symptoms to severe acute respiratory syndrome and respiratory failure [1,2]. The incidence rate of COVID-19 in China was on the rise since December 2019, rapidly spreading to other countries and continents [1].
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