Virus Outbreak: HK antiviral cocktail not recommended in TaiwanBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporter, with CNAA triple antiviral therapy that has shown promise in treating COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms in Hong Kong is not being recommended in Taiwan because it can cause side effects, Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) specialist advisory panel convener Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳) said on Sunday. Researchers in Hong Kong have found that patients experiencing milder symptoms recover more quickly if they are treated with the antiviral cocktail soon after symptoms appear. Separately on Saturday at the third weekly briefing on the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 cases in Taiwan, Chang explained how the nation successfully fought against an H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic in 2009. Predictions based on simulation models might sometimes be inaccurate when facing a new virus, Chang said, adding that collective public efforts, such as wearing masks to avoid droplet infection and preventing the wearer from touching their face, can change the outcome. Knowledge gleaned from the nation’s disease prevention experiences have contributed to its successful performance in fighting COVID-19, he added.

Source: Taipei Times May 11, 2020 15:56 UTC