CECC Probing Infection Source of First COVID-19 Fatality|追蹤白牌車司機感染源 鎖定浙江返台台商

The Central Epidemic Command Center is currently trying to determine how the first fatality of coronavirus disease 2019 in Taiwan contracted the disease. It identified a Taiwanese businessperson who returned to Taiwan from Zhejiang Province, but tests were negative, indicating that the novel coronavirus is no longer present in the body. The businessperson's blood was also tested, and if antibodies are present, this person could very well be the source of the infection.


An unlicensed private-hire taxi driver from central Taiwan became the first fatality of coronavirus disease 2019 in Taiwan. The Central Epidemic Command Center is currently trying to determine how he contracted the infection. It has identified a Taiwanese businessperson who returned to Taiwan from Zhejiang Province on Jan. 22. This businessperson rode the taxi driver's car and coughed frequently during the ride though he wore a face mask. There is also a record of him seeking medical treatment, and therefore he is suspected to be the source of the infection. However, tests have been negative, and now his blood is being tested to see if antibodies are present.

What you have to do next is confirm if he was previously infected. The way to do this is to take his blood and check it for antibodies. This virus has leapt to humans in perhaps only half a year's time. This means that people with antibodies were probably recently infected. If the test shows the presence of antibodies, then this is probably the most likely scenario.

Infectious disease specialists say the coronavirus may no longer be present in the businessperson's body, and a blood test is needed to see if antibodies are present. If they are present, then the probability of the man as the source of the infection increases. They add that incubation periods longer than 14 days or repeated infections are special cases, and the public need not panic. There is also no need to extend the quarantine period to one month.

I believe cases of longer incubation periods or repeated infection are isolated cases. Generally speaking, the incubation period is as long as it should be and we can take precautions based on this. We shouldn't extend the incubation period to one month. It shouldn't be that long in theory either.

National Taiwan University College of Medicine and the Academia Sinica are testing the man's blood, and it will take two working days. Doctors say if the tests are negative, it will complicate the search for the source of the infection. Community-acquired infection remains a possibility.



中部白牌司機，確診武漢肺炎死亡，目前追蹤"感染源"，鎖定一名1月22號從浙江返台的台商，當時曾搭過白牌司機的車，坐在車上時雖然戴口罩，但已咳得很厲害，也有就醫記錄，疑似可能是感染源，但目前檢體呈現陰性，將進一步"抽血"，看看有沒有"抗體反應"。

台大兒童感染部主任 黃立民表示：「所以你再來要證明，他曾經感染過的方法，就是你必須驗..抽他的血驗抗體，這個病毒來到人類的世界，可能只有半年多的時間，所以有抗體的人，大概應該都是最近感染的，抗體陽性的話，綜合判斷起來，就覺得這個可能性是最大的。」

感染科醫師表示，這位浙江台商體內病毒，可能已經排出，但還是要抽血檢驗確認，如果"抗體"反應呈現"陽性"，感染源機率就高。至於潛伏期超過14天以上，或是感染兩次的病例，醫師認為是特殊個案，不用過度恐慌，隔離時間也無須拉長到一個月。

台大兒童感染部主任 黃立民表示：「我覺得目前所謂很長的潛伏期，或者感染兩次的，這些都是特殊個案，一般我們潛伏期，該多長大概就多長，照這樣去防護，我們不可能把潛伏期拉到一個月，那事實上、學理上，也不應該那麼久。」

浙江台商血清，已交由台大醫學院與中研院檢驗，需兩個工作天時間。醫師表示，如果呈現陰性，代表這名白牌司機的感染源追查不易，不排除社區感染風險。