From the nation at the highest risk of the Covid-19 outbreak to where the virus spreading has been well contained

Amid the Covid-19 spreading and fears mounting, Taiwan has done well managing infection whilst ensuring a sufficient supply of relevant consumables.

A timely integration of an individual’s travel intel into the centralised healthcare system allows medical care givers to stay vigilant when treating patients, the government’s open data has also enabled IT specialists and engineers to develop a map showing pharmacies with facemasks in stock. The map triggered nearly 80 applications later. 

In the course of battling the virus, the ‘team Taiwan’, comprised by deft SMBs, pivotal biotech, pharma and research bodies, was put in place managing facemask production and development of drugs, vaccines and assays for Covid-19. The output of facemasks went from 5.9 million a day to nearly 10 million now that one with Taiwan’s NHI card can purchase either from local pharmacies or online. An antiviral drug remdesivir, which is believed the cure for the recent outbreak of Covid-19 infection, was synthesised in two weeks without raw materials by Taiwanese researchers. Clinical trials of remdesivir is being carried out in country.  

Altogether Taiwan has been praised internationally for the fight against the virus, albeit being denied WHO membership. The entire task force, citizens’ cooperation and technology have safeguarded Taiwan and turned over what it could have been a crisis.