Prompt successful response to a COVID-19 outbreak: Performance of community-based rapid screening station

Chia-Jen Liu; Chun-Yi Yang; Yi-Long Chen; Samuel Shih-Chih Wang; Chao-Mei Chu; Ming-Hsuan Hsieh; Sheng-Jean Huang; Yu-Ping Chang; Chia-Chen Hsu

doi:10.1016/j.jfma.2022.01.019

Prompt successful response to a COVID-19 outbreak: Performance of community-based rapid screening station

J Formos Med Assoc. 2022 Nov;121(11):2356-2359. doi: 10.1016/j.jfma.2022.01.019. Epub 2022 Jan 24.

Authors

Chia-Jen Liu¹, Chun-Yi Yang², Yi-Long Chen³, Samuel Shih-Chih Wang⁴, Chao-Mei Chu⁵, Ming-Hsuan Hsieh⁶, Sheng-Jean Huang⁷, Yu-Ping Chang⁸, Chia-Chen Hsu⁹

Affiliations

¹ Superintendent Office, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, 10341, Taiwan; Department of Health and Welfare, University of Taipei, Taipei, 11036, Taiwan; Center for General Education, University of Marine Technology, Taipei, 11174, Taiwan.
² Department of Health and Welfare, University of Taipei, Taipei, 11036, Taiwan; Department of Social Work, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, 10341, Taiwan.
³ Deputy Superintendent Office, Taipei City Hospital, ZhongXing Branch, Taipei, 10341, Taiwan; Department of Health Care Management, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Science, Taipei, 112303, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Health and Welfare, University of Taipei, Taipei, 11036, Taiwan.
⁵ Department of Medical Affairs, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, 10341, Taiwan; Department of Information Management, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, 112303, Taiwan.
⁶ Development and Planning Center, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, 10341, Taiwan; University of Taipei, Taipei, 111036, Taiwan.
⁷ Superintendent Office, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, 10341, Taiwan.
⁸ University of Taipei, Taipei, 111036, Taiwan; Deputy Superintendent Office, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, 10341, Taiwan.
⁹ Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, 10341, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Gerontology and Health Care Management, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan, 33303, Taiwan; Department of Exercise and Health Sciences, University of Taipei, Taipei, 111036, Taiwan. Electronic address: DAZ10@tpech.gov.tw.

Abstract

An outbreak occurred in Wanhua District of Taipei City. It was traced to a cluster infection originating from a teahouse. To prevent further large-scaled community spread, the Taipei City Government established the first community rapid test screening station. This report describes the station's strategy and performance and key factors that contributed to its operation. The project involves collaboration among various departments of Taipei City Government, including the health, environmental, police, transportation, and fire departments. The station provides rapid screening, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, and immediate isolation and follow-up medical services upon the detection of a positive case. These services are accessible to local residents and are intended to ease hospitals' burdens. In 36 days, a total of 8532 people were tested, and 419 confirmed cases were identified. Over the same period, the weekly number of positive cases in Wanhua District decreased from 356 to 40, and the PCR positive rate decreased from 21.7% to 1.2%. The policy of establishing rapid screening station, contact tracing and mask wearing policy are key strategies for interrupting chains of transmission of COVID-19. This intervention has become a model for preventing the spread of the epidemic and establishing community rapid screening stations in Taiwan.

Keywords: COVID-19; Hot spot; Outbreak; Polymerase chain reaction test; Rapid screening station.

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / diagnosis
COVID-19* / epidemiology
COVID-19* / prevention & control
Contact Tracing
Disease Outbreaks / prevention & control
Humans
Mass Screening
Policy