What Taiwan can teach the world on fighting the coronavirus

Situated less than 90 miles from China, the coronavirus outbreak could have been critical in Taiwan, but the country's proactive measures helped to stave off the worst of the disease. Having learned from SARS epidemic, Taiwan had prepared for future situations by creating a comprehensive command center and implementing a transparent communication strategy both of which have helped slow the spread of Covid-19.

As word of the coronavirus outbreak spread, so did misinformation, so the World Health Organization began working with big tech companies to put a stop to it. Collaborating with the likes of Pinterest, Google, Twitter, and Facebook, W.H.O. has posted content that disputes the incorrect information across platforms and sites in order to make "falsehoods harder to find in searches or on news streams."

To limit exposure during coronavirus testing, South Korea began piloting drive-thru test sites that allow those being tested to remain in their cars. The drive-thru, which sends results to the patient via text message three days later, has tested nearly 400 people in one day, helping to ease pressure oncovi other testing sites.

Health care workers at the University of Washington are now able to get tested for coronavirus via a drive-through. Providing both convenience and safety by limiting exposure of the potentially ill, the test only takes five minutes and those tested usually get their results within a day.

Despite avoiding mass bans on citizen movement, South Korea has managed to mitigate the number of reported cases for coronavirus after implementing broad testing protocols. Having learned what didn't work during a previous outbreak of a respitaroy illness, the country "created a system to allow rapid approval of testing kits for viruses which have the potential to cause pandemics."

In order to effectively manage the coronavirus outbreak in South Korea, government officials have stepped in by increasing transparency, subsidizing home medical equipment such as face masks, and rapidly distributing testing kits. The efforts have resulted in many more people already being tested than anticipated and behavioral changes taking effect within the population.

South Korea's nationwide coronavirus testing measures are showing that the death rate for the virus may not be as high as initially reported while also offering lessons to other countries about the best practices for mitigating epidemics. Although the United States is now beginning to utilize partnerships to address limited testing procedures, South Korea's response allowed for patients to be diagnosed an an earlier and faster rate.

As countries around the world work to slow the spread of coronavirus, several places including Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Macau have reported success from a handful of methods. Mass testing is a common factor throughout each, but financial incentives for self-quarantine, temperature checks at small businesses, and complimentary hand sanitizersr are a few other solutions that have shown promise.

Identifying the metagenomic sequencing for new outbreaks of viruses can help to better assess how the virus is spreading, which in turn helps health officials figure out how to slow down the contagion. In the midst of a coronavirus outbreak, a tool that was first used to during the SARS outbreak is now being used to track Covid-19 in under-resourced places such as Cambodia.

While many countries are struggling to control the spread of the recent coronavirus outbreak, South Korea has reported a decline in daily caseloads due to their rapid and comprehensive response. By expanding testing sites to include drive-throughs, canceling events and implementing more thorough testing protocols in their international airport, the country has offered lessons for others who have not yet determined a course of action.