Learning from the past: Taiwan’s responses to COVID-19 versus SARS

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2021.06.002
• Publication Date: 2021-06-05T06:58:27Z
• Authors: Muh-Yong Yen; Yung-Feng Yen; Shey-Ying Chen; Ting-I Lee; Kuan-Han Huang; Ta-Chien Chan; Tsung-Hua Tung; Le-Yin Hsu; Tai-Yuan Chiu; Po-Ren Hsueh; Chwan-Chuen King
• Keywords: 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak; Betacoronavirus; Sars virus; Pandemic; Coronavirus Infections

ObjectivesTo evaluate the prevalence of infection prevention behaviors in Taiwan—wearing facemasks and alcohol-based hand hygiene (AHH)—and compare their practice rates during SARS COVID-19.MethodsWe surveyed 2328 Taiwanese from July 29 to August 6, 2020, assessing demographics, information sources, preventive 2003 outbreaks, 2009 pandemic influenza H1N1, COVID-19, with post-survey intentions. Characteristics associated 2020 were identified through logistic regression.ResultsPreventive conscientiously practiced by 70.2% participants. Compared SARS/2009 percentages facemask use (66.6% vs 99.2% [indoors], P < 0.001) on-person AHH (44.2% 65.4% [hand sanitizers], significantly increasedduring COVID-19. Highest adherence was among females (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.72), those receiving government COVID-19 (aOR, 1.52), participants recruited primary-care clinics 1.43), who H1N1 1.37).ConclusionsGovernment leadership, healthcare providers risk communication, public cooperation rapidly mitigated spread Taiwan even before vaccination. Future global efforts must implement such population-based at a level above viral-transmission-threshold, particularly areas fast-spreading SARS-CoV-2 variants.