"0+7" is about to hit the road! Doctors list "4 key points": do risk management, get vaccinated before going abroad
The Epidemic Command Center announced that starting from the 10th/13th, the policy of “self-controlled epidemic prevention for 7 days after rapid screening on the day of entry” (0+7) will be implemented for Taiwanese inbound tourists; the epidemic prevention hotel will also be completely withdrawn and replaced by a “centralized quarantine facility” Accommodate confirmed cases who have moved in from abroad. In addition, as long as you have a negative rapid test certificate within 2 days after entering the country, you can go out freely during the 7-day self-isolation period without restrictions.
Is it inevitable to loosen restrictions on overseas epidemic prevention? Doctor’s analysis: The opening schedule cannot be any slower!
Why is it inevitable to loosen overseas epidemic prevention policies? Dr. Jiang Guanyu, an attending physician at the Department of Integrated Medicine, Taipei City Hospital Zhongxing Branch, published an analysis on the community. According to data from the International Air Transport Association, compared with other regions, the Asia-Pacific region accounted for more than 30% of global air travel demand in 2019; however, Today, the recovery progress of Asia-Pacific air travel is not the last in the world, and it is only expected to surpass Africa in 2023-2024. The potential reason may be related to flight restrictions in countries such as China and Japan.
Dr. Jiang Guanyu said that the Asia Pacific International Airport Council recently announced that in terms of non-business and purely passenger travel flights, “Asia will no longer be the largest travel market in the world.” However, overly complicated epidemic prevention policies and flight restrictions will put Taiwan’s tourism in a recession. “For a country like Taiwan that relies on tourism, even if the epidemic reaches its peak, if it opens too late, its economic resilience may collapse immediately. Therefore, the opening schedule cannot be any slower!”
Will there be a wave of people, tourism and shopping after winter? Is a new wave of epidemic likely to follow?
With the 0+7 policy change coming, how should the public respond? What other matters should be paid attention to? Dr. Jiang Guanyu pointed out that we cannot welcome the fourth season without any changes in epidemic prevention policies. The winter period coincides with the golden period for various consumptions, such as Christmas, New Year’s Eve and other festivals, and the flow of people is bound to be even greater. Therefore, during the While opening the country to welcome foreign tourists, the following measures must also be put in place:
1. All major indoor places should pay attention to the promotion of environmental ventilation and indoor air filtration projects.
Dr. Jiang Guanyu gave an example. When major hotels return to normal operations and no longer function as epidemic prevention hotels, Taiwan and abroad tourism and business accommodation will be mixed in the same hotel, resulting in an increase in cross-infection rates, which may usher in another wave of epidemics. “Western European countries such as the United Kingdom have recently seen a 33% increase in the hospitalization rate of confirmed cases, which is believed to be caused by weather changes, closed doors and windows, and the resumption of travel in Europe.”
2. Implementation of gene sequencing measures.
Dr. Jiang Guanyu said that the full opening of borders means that Taiwan’s epidemic situation will gradually synchronize with the world and will no longer be slower than the world. Coupled with the rise of new mutant strains such as BA.4 and BA.5, it is possible that after this wave of epidemics, it will be “seamlessly connected” to the global epidemic, leaving little time to breathe.
Therefore, in order to know which mutant strain is caused by the next wave of epidemics, the work of “gene sequencing” still needs to be carried out accurately. “If the genome is not sequenced well, we will follow in the footsteps of the “blind flight” of European and American countries a while ago: whether the infection in the community is serious or not will not be known without active notification; if a threat to vulnerable groups is detected, it is not sure which mutant strain it is. caused.”
Does opening up the country mean “at your own risk”? Doctors urge you to do “two things” before going abroad
In addition, at the individual level, Dr. Jiang Guanyu reminded the public that after the implementation of the 0+7 policy, it is an era of “risks are transferred to individuals.” Individual epidemic prevention behaviors such as masks, social distance, and frequent spraying of alcohol still need to be thoroughly implemented. In addition, if you need to travel abroad, you must also do two things:
1. Complete the bivalent vaccine before leaving the country.
Dr. Jiang Guanyu said that the current status of new coronavirus mutant strains can be described as “contesting with each other”, and no one virus can dominate the next wave of epidemic trends. However, the current virus does have a phenomenon of “convergent evolution”, and mutations occur in the “R346X” sequence. “This is a collective attempt by the virus to find immune escape!” In the face of these unknown mutant strains, if we take bivalent treatment in advance Vaccination is expected to reduce the risk of severe mortality after infection.
2. Do a good job in risk management and prepare insurance support in advance.
Dr. Jiang Guanyu pointed out that if you contract the epidemic abroad and the requirement to postpone return to the country for seven days is still in place, there is no guarantee that you will lose time and money during this period. Therefore, people should think about the compensation mechanism in advance; it is reported that Taiwan insurance will no longer support it, so local insurance and other mechanisms can be carefully considered. “Of course, from the perspective of moral hazard, is it possible to contract the epidemic abroad now? Bring the virus back to the country without reporting it? It’s all possible. So people should try to reduce risks as much as possible, and don’t worry too much if they have done everything they can. "
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Regarding the “0+7” open policy, why and what should be done? - Dr. Jiang Guanyu Pro’spect
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