Taiwan Reports over 20K New Domestic Cases on Aug. 7 昨本土病例較上週日增4.5% 北市出現緩升

Name: Taiwan Reports over 20K New Domestic Cases on Aug. 7 昨本土病例較上週日增4.5% 北市出現緩升 ｜ 公視新聞網 PNN
Uploaded: 2022-08-08T17:28:45+08:00
Description: Taiwan reported over 20,000 new domestic cases of COVID-19 on Aug. 7, an increase of 900-plus cases or 4.5 percent from the previous Sunday. One doctor says BA.5 is likely spreading in Taipei already

發布時間：2022/8/8 17:28 更新時間：2022/8/8 21:05

M. Chuang

Taiwan reported over 20,000 new domestic cases of COVID-19 on Aug. 7, an increase of 900-plus cases or 4.5 percent from the previous Sunday. One doctor says BA.5 is likely spreading in Taipei already while another says it wouldn't be a bad thing if BA.5 "arrived" earlier than expected.

Taiwan reported over 21,000 new domestic cases of COVID-19 on Aug. 7, an increase of 4.5 percent from the previous Sunday. One doctor says rising numbers in Taipei could mean BA.5 is already spreading in the city.

Huang Li-min, Honorary Chair, Infectious Diseases Society of Taiwan: “If the (case) count is going up in Taipei, it could be a sign that Taipei's epidemic prevention measures and herd immunity are not working as well.”

Chiang Kuan-yu, Integrative Care Doctor, Taipei City Hospital: “The higher the level of urbanization, the higher the level of infectiousness. So, it will definitely start with Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung, and Taoyuan.”

Another expert says it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if BA.5 starts spreading earlier than expected as it would then also peak and abate sooner, hopefully before flu season in the fall and winter.

Hwang Kao-pin, Vice Superintendent, Infection Control Center, CMUH: “If BA.5 spreads quickly through the community and the majority of people get it, border controls can be lifted sooner.”

Experts say the best forms of prevention are washing hands, wearing a mask, and staying away from public places. In addition, everyone over 50 should get at least four vaccine doses while children over six months should get vaccinated as soon as possible as well.

新冠本土疫情7日週日新增2萬1千多例，單日新增病例數較前一天上升一成，也比上週日上升4.5%，有醫師認為，這代表疫情開始出現反轉，尤其台北市上週每日新增病例數出現緩升，其他縣市則是緩降，有可能Omicron變異株BA.5、已經在台北市逐漸擴散。

台灣感染症醫學會名譽理事長黃立民說：「如果台北市已經觀察到確診人數開始在慢慢增加，這個其實也在暗示說，台北市的防疫措施跟族群免疫力，基本上是有消退。」

北市聯醫整合醫學照護科醫師姜冠宇表示：「都會化程度越高，那當然就是傳染程度就越高，所以一定是從北北基桃開始啦。」

不過也有專家指出，如果上升趨勢確定，BA.5疫情有可能提早報到，早來、就早一點達到高峰，也可早一點降下來，可以降低秋冬季節、新冠與流感雙重流行的風險，對台灣來講未必是壞事。

中醫大附設醫院感染管制中心副院長黃高彬則說：「假如說我們在BA.5很快的能夠在群眾之間，占絕大多數的這種比例的話，那開放國門的機會甚至有機會提早。」

專家強調，預防新冠病毒最好的方法，就是勤洗手、戴口罩，減少出入公共場所，另外50歲以上民眾第4劑疫苗、也要打好打滿，6個月以上嬰幼兒、及兒童疫苗，應儘快接種，以降低染疫後、重症死亡的風險。