No, I do not have to book anything /I called Taipei Representative Office in London to get info/. I was given a link with the info what I have to do.
Annex II, entry quarantine system QA-people version (US) .pdf (cdc.gov.tw)
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8 hours and 37 minutes to go.
I booked a fairly cheap hotel in Taoyuan ($2500 per night) and the experience hasn’t been too bad. @nz gave some good recommendations about what to pack.
I ended up buying a digital jump rope and was glad I did. Was able to get in some cardio and it helped deal with the boredom. I’d also recommend bringing some athletic shorts/shirts because they’re easy to wash in the sink and dry quickly.
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Just wanted to follow up on this. We had the day 12 test today. Both me and my wife felt very uncomfortable as they used quite a bit of force. Our 6yr old daughter on the other hand is still bleeding from the nose an hour after the test. The tester forced the stick way past the mark and used a of force. Mind you mind daughter has now had 7 PCR tests before this and not once has there been an issue like this.
So for what ever reason it seems the CDC has advised to do these tests in a very painful and to me unsafe way. My daughter is small and fragile, the testing probe went so far in to her that it must have been half way down her throat.
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Oh no! I don’t understand why they do it like that… I’ve gotten two tests for various reasons while I’ve been back in the US (one to go to Canada and one today for my return to taiwan) and both times I’ve done it myself with a nurse supervising. seems much safer for them, not to mention easier for me. the nurse today told me that there’s no clinical reason to go so far back in the nose.
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They use these crazy boxes in Taiwan so the tester is not able to actually position their hands well. So with a short 6yr old they have a tiny stand and ask a parent to hold kid in place. But the tester has not control of the swab because its way too low and the permanent gloves limit the reach so the solution is to just use force and end up braking the inside of the nose causing bleeding.
Somebody from the CDC should go and check out the various drive thru tests around the world. By far the safest and best way to achieve minimal contact and good testing.
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yeah, I remember, I had a test in Taipei in June so I could come back to the us. I’m a grown woman, and I was almost brought to tears. Really not looking forward to having to do it again… (also, maybe it’s just me, but I was kinda grossed out by those reusable gloves… I’m not entirely sure they were cleaned in between people).
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That was my experience at Cardinal Tien Hospital in March. The bitch hit bottom on me and smirked. Here in the U.S. I went to a drive up window at a pharmacy and did my own nose swab while they watched. Night and day difference, with the same results.
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They do have to hit way back in your nasal cavity to get a proper swab.
The results would not be the same, the swab has to enter a distance equivalent to about half the distance between your mouth and ear to actually get a proper sample. Was the sample you took yourself for an Antigen test rather than PCR? Antigen doesn’t require a deep sample.
Not saying the way it is done in Taiwan is necessarily correct however any properly done swab for a PCR test is going to be quite uncomfortable, should not be causing nose bleeds though.
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Believe me the distance the test was taken was by far the furthest I’ve seen (I’ve had PCR tests taken in Taiwan, Sweden, Finland and USA.). What I question is that a 6yr old child who is tiny has the swab inserted the same distance as an adult (the swabs have a notch for guidance of the depth) so its somewhat easy to judge.
Googling this the bleeding comes from using force and braking the inside surface of the nasal cavity which is exactly what happens because the testing person doesn’t have the reach or freedom of movement to properly insert the swab.
The fact that this thread has multiple people saying the same thing leads me to believe there is guidance to the hospitals to take the samples extremely deep.
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I’m so sorry. Somehow, we’ve got to complain about this. It won’t change if no one speaks up. I saw someone wrote a letter to Taiwan News and it was published. They had a very similar experience. Perhaps we can video the tests? I wish I had thought of that when my test was done.
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This isn’t right. No one should be treated this way. I’ve had several PCR tests with one at the Shuang He hospital and they were so nice and took care not to hurt me. The technician at Shuang He even said “I’m sorry. This test is uncomfortable”. I could barely feel the test.
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We need this style. If they are doing tests this way out of fear, us taking our own sample with them observing will protect them and us.
It was a PCR test done at one of the major providers of COVID testing in the U.S.The pharmacist watched me carefully while instructing me how far to insert the swab and how to move it around.
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Call the CECC (1922) and file an official complaint. Make sure you have the hotel name and date and time of the test. Causing a nose bleed is unacceptable. I think a lot of nurses here take pleasure in seeing the discomfort they cause people by stuffing the swabs too far up peoples noses. This in and of itself should disqualify them from any medical position. “Do no harm” and all that slips right past them
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We did file a complaint. My wife may have the energy to deal with it. I am ready just to go home and get back to work, hiking and biking (though I suppose still with a freaking mask)
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I understand completely. It is much easier to move on. My husband arrives tomorrow. He’s a tough guy and he’ll be fine. It still takes a toll on people. I’m going to try to think of a way to complain in a productive way. Perhaps the 1922 is the answer to at least get the word out there?
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Can you tell us how you filed a complaint? I did complain to the guy checking on me. I know he cared because he brought up the subject the next time he called me. Harming people isn’t an image that the modern Taiwanese population wants. There’s a group of mean-ass teachers and doctors out there still but they are much older.
Thru the CDC contact they give you when you start your quarantine (Line / Phone number).
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Seems to be the real thing. I got tested after traveling from Taiwan to the U.S. to get the Pfizer vaccines just to make sure I didn’t pick up something that I might pass on to family and friends.
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Not a Forumosan (or who knows, maybe!): a Twitter thread by the day about one person’s quarantine experience; yesterday was their arrival, and today is changing a (very small looking) room.
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