Ko Calls on Central Government to Cut Red Tape 柯重申快篩陽直接給藥 可降住院.死亡率

The mayors of Taipei and New Taipei are both calling on the central government to cut the red tape and allow people with a positive rapid test result to get medication. Ko Wen-je said studies show access to medication lowers the hospitalization and death rate by 80 percent.

On the 13th, Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je reaffirmed that people with a positive rapid test should be able to get a prescription. Ko went on to say if a positive PCR test were required to get a prescription, many more people would die. At the same time, doctors are concerned about interaction and side effects between antivirals and other drugs.

Ko Wen-je, Taipei City Mayor: “Everyone knows what we mean. If a positive rapid test replaces a positive PCR test and the two are clinically equal -- these medications have their indications. Someone says A and they intentionally start talking about B to confuse people.”

New Taipei City currently has Taiwan's highest infection count. Mayor Hou Yu-ih says no differentiation should be made between a positive rapid test and a positive PCR test. Hou is also calling on the central government to cut the red tape and allow patients in need of medical care to get it in a timely way. Central Epidemic Command Center chief Chen Shih-chung disagrees, saying rapid tests have a false positive rate of 15 percent.

Hou Yu-ih, New Taipei City Mayor: “Concerns would remain if the central government expands the scope. It needs to implement supplementary measures as soon as possible to resolve this issue.”

Hou also agreed with Ko that those with a positive rapid test should be given medication after consulting with a doctor via video call so that they can start treatment as quickly as possible.

台北市長柯文哲13日上午參加廣慈D、E及行善社會住宅暨斯文里3期都更分回戶聯合招租抽籤記者會，不過媒體聚焦在疫情議題，柯文哲多次重申快篩陽就直接給藥，還說若要PCR才能給藥一定會死很多人，但有醫師反對，提醒抗病毒藥物交互作用多恐有副作用。

柯文哲說：「其實行家就知道我在講的意思，就是說快篩陽取代PCR陽都在臨床上使用，但這個藥有它的適應症，人家講A他就故意去講B來混淆視聽。」

前往大觀國中視察新北校園防疫專案辦公室的新北市長侯友宜，面對疫情升溫，新北市確診數為全國最多，侯友宜拋出快篩陽視同確診不分對象，但指揮官陳時中卻說，快篩陽仍有15%偽陽性，侯友宜則再次呼籲，希望中央能簡化流程快速協助民眾就醫。

新北市長侯友宜表示：「我相信中央如果面對擴大範圍還有疑慮，那就快速地去用配套的措施，把這個問題做好解決。」

侯友宜也認同柯文哲所說快篩陽就給藥的作法，表示快篩陽民眾應經過醫師的診斷後若有需要就立即給藥，以縮短救治的時間，爭取黃金治療時間。