You could have said that before coronavirus, to be fair…
4 Likes
Wanhua’s great!
1 Like
Have you been there recently? 
Drink any tea? 
What’s great about it? I’ve just passed through a couple of times and been to the fish market and stuff, but it seemed alright. 
1 Like
I lived there for years. Good restaurants, good vibe.
2 Likes
COVID-19 testing sites
the article doesn’t mention Kaohsiung testing sites but in the Interactive map (Chinese) there is a list https://antiflu.cdc.gov.tw/ExaminationCounter
Meanwhile in S.Korea…
COVID-19 self-test kits on sale in S. Korea show results within 15 to 30 minutes
The results aren’t always accurate though, especially for people who are asymptomatic, meaning it’s possible to get a false-negative.
And those who test positive are required to visit screening centers and undergo a PCR test.
Health authorities say the kits should only be used as a supplementary diagnosis method for those with respiratory symptoms who are unable to get a proper PCR test.
But Korea is looking to put them to wide use with cluster infections still popping up nationwide.
The one developed by Humasis will be sold at convenience stores around the country starting Friday.
Meanwhile, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education plans to introduce self-test kits to schools with sports teams or with dormitories of more than 100 students.
Han Seong-woo, Arirang News.
4 Likes
Maybe you will be able to get it in Taiwan soon.
1 Like
I hope TW will allow them. You can get the Binax Now rapid test at pretty much every drug store for around $25 here in the US. I used one and it’s really easy.
If you test positive you’re supposed to contact your healthcare provider or local officials. Obviously no way to enforce that. But allowing people to know whether they have the virus or not is a good thing because it can allow people to make choices that reduce or stop the spread.
If OTC rapid tests were widely available in places like the US at the beginning of the pandemic I think it could have helped a lot.
1 Like
Plenty of red tape available at the CECC…
Must be done by us! Authorized! Abott laboratory test un-acceptable!
Chen Shizhong, who was in attendance, said that domestic reagents are all types for experts. There is no pharmaceutical company in Taiwan to apply for importing home fast screening reagents. He has asked the Food and Drug Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare to encourage manufacturers to apply for imports as soon as possible.
For Qiu Xianzhi, the government should take the initiative. Chen Shizhong responded that if the home fast screening reagents want to come in, he will agree, “but the reagents need to be imported, if they don’t come in, what are they going to review?” At present, manufacturers are also actively encouraged to apply quickly.
If Google Translate is decent and I’m reading this correctly, it’s a “please call us, we won’t call you” situation.
Because international companies are supposed to spend time trying to enter the huge TW market.
1 Like
I love the sarcasm.
Taiwanese authorities really seem to be living in some sort of alternate reality. Certainly people should have it explained to them how these tests work - what they can tell you and what they can’t - but to prevent people having access to them is just bizarre.
Boss Tsai wants the numbers to look pretty.
I am flying to the US in mid-July, found some hospitals where I can sign up for tests 28 days in advance so waiting until it’s 28 days in advance then will sign up at the stroke of midnight- seems most of the travel test sites are shut down or full. Anyone testing for travel who has some good suggestions of hospitals, clinics? Doesn’t need to be PCR, US will take rapid antigen test. In HK (where I came from last year) so easy to get a test at the community test centers but here, seems quite difficult and expensive…
6 months ago seems just right for TW now:
“The real value of these tests was six months ago,” says Amitabh Chandra, a professor at Harvard University’s Kennedy School. “I think that the move to over-the-counter is great, but it has limited value in a world where vaccines become more widely available.”
Stupid question: For the BionaxNow kits, why do you need to wait 1.5 days after a negative result to take the 2nd test? If the sensitivity were really 85%, wouldn’t 2 negative results from tests taken back to back be ~2% false negative?
I plan to leave on July 10th to head back to Canada.
If my flight leaves at 20:20, exactly what day and time should I do the
PCR test? I don’t think it can be on July 7th at 10 am because that is
more than 72 hours.
I think if you can do it 20:20 on the 7th that is perfect, since that is unlikely try for as early as possible the next morning.
Also, does this mean you have made your decision about relocating to Canada for a new job? Are you moving ahead with the northern reservation position? Please drop us the occasional post to let us know how it is going (I’m genuinely curious to find out what happens next)!
I don’t believe that the hospitals in the local area where I am will be giving PCR tests
at 20:20. They operate only from Mondays to Fridays and cease operations as early as
5 or 6 pm. This is not so good because there are people who will be departing on flights
on weekends. Plus there should be more hours available for appointments.
I have made my final decision to go back to Canada and teach for a northern Indigenous
community. It was a difficult decision I made when I told my recruiting agent that I will
not stay here.
1 Like
It is official.
I am leaving to go to Canada on July 14th. My Airfare is booked.
All I need to do is make an appointment to get tested for COVID.
July 11th is on Sunday and I cannot get the test done on Sunday, so
I will have to get the test done on Monday, July 12th which is still
within the 72 hours before I board the plane to leave. The question is,
if I do the test on Monday, July 12, when will I get the result back?