Steps to Take after Receiving a Positive Test

Distinguishing the severity of symptoms

Asymptomatic
Being asymptomatic means that you have no symptoms. However, people can transmit the virus both when they have symptoms and when they don't have symptoms.

Mild Symptoms
COVID-19 symptoms can vary widely. The common mild symptoms of covid include:
✓ Fever
✓ Fatigue
✓ Headache
✓ Dry cough
✓ Sore throat
✓ Diarrhoea
✓ Loss of taste or smell
✓ Aches and pains

Severe Symptoms
If you experience more severe symptoms please call 119 or the CECC hotline at 1922 immediately to seek medical advice. The severe symptoms include:
✓ Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
✓ Chest pain or pressure
✓ Bluish lips or face
✓ Inability to wake or stay awake
✓ Sudden confusion

Measures for handling positive cases and criteria for lifting quarantine

Asymptomatic carriers or those with mild symptoms, who are being treated at a designated quarantine facility, may leave the quarantine facility without taking a test if both of the following criteria are fulfilled. The health authority will issue a home quarantine notice, and the person is required to continue a 7-day home quarantine: 

1. The fever has been gone for at least 1 day, and symptoms have alleviated
2. The time elapsed since the day of onset has exceeded 10 days (the date of testing is considered as the date of onset for asymptomatic carriers)

Note: Persons who fulfill both criteria may not take public transportation from the hospital or designated quarantine facility back home.

Persons treated at a designated quarantine facility may leave the quarantine facility if all of the following criteria are fulfilled. The health authority will issue a home quarantine notice, and the person is required to continue a 7-day home quarantine:
✓ The fever has been gone for at least 1 day, and symptoms have alleviated
✓ The time elapsed since the day of onset has exceeded 10 days (the date of testing is considered as the date of onset for asymptomatic carriers)
✓ One negative SARSCoV-2 RT-PCR test or a Ct value ≥ 30 (either a nasal or throat swab test).

Notice for People Undergoing Home Quarantine

How to handle medical situations during home quarantine

Life-threatening emergencies
When a life-threatening emergency occurs (such as emergency delivery, aneurysm rupture, severe hemorrhaging, unconsciousness, or loss of vital signs), please call 119 immediately and tell the operator that the person is currently undergoing self-isolation or home quarantine.

When running a fever or coughing
When exhibiting a fever ≧ 38℃ or respiratory symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath, please immediately contact Taoyuan City’s Department of Health. DO NOT take public transportation, and mask up at all times. Seek medical assistance according to the tiered registration system stipulated by hospitals.

When exhibiting chronic illnesses or other physical discomforts unrelated to fevers or upper-respiratory-tract symptoms
Patients with chronic illnesses who are in a stable condition can ask others to describe their condition to physicians, after which a physician will issue a prescription based on their professional opinion. Please submit the patient’s NHI card, national ID, or other documents or affidavits that serve as proof of identity during hospital visits. The patient may only receive prescriptions for the same drug that was prescribed prior to quarantine.

Please postpone non-emergency medical procedures, such as scaling and polishing or health exams. Please resume the appointment after home quarantine or self-isolation is complete.

If medical assistance is needed for preexisting conditions or chronic illnesses (such as chronic kidney failure, cancer, or leukemia) and symptoms other than fever and respiratory-tract symptoms (such as episodes of gout or cellulitis), please contact Taoyuan City’s Department of Health, which will make assessments accordingly and provide assistance in seeking medical treatment. Please mask up when outside of the house.

Assessment of other conditions
The majority of patients with COVID-19 experience mild symptoms and are able to recover with rest. To reserve medical resources for those with severe symptoms, patients with mild symptoms should stay at home. High-risk patients should also stay at home but wait for notifications by the Department of Health. While recovering at home, please keep hydrated, stay in bed as much as possible, and monitor any changes in symptoms.
If symptoms worsen, please contact 119, the Department of Health, or 1922 immediately.


Hygiene Guidelines During Home Quarantine

✓ One person per room with private bathroom
✓ Do not come into contact with those living in the same house, especially older adults, young children, or immunocompromised individuals
✓ Do not share meals or objects
✓ Mask up
✓ Clean your hands with alcohol or soap and water
✓ Disinfect objects with alcohol or diluted bleach

After receiving a positive test, call three types of people who have come into close contact and advise home quarantine    
Persons who have come into close contact with the confirmed case from three days before symptom onset to the day of quarantine (such as sharing meals, cohabiting, or coming into contact with each other for more than 15 minutes without wearing masks) should undergo self-quarantine and monitor their health.


Notice for Cohabitants of People Undergoing Home Quarantine

Guideline for taking care of people with confirmed cases of COVID-19
Provide daily necessities; remind the patient to rest and rehydrate; the patient may take medicine according to doctor’s orders or take antipyretics when running a fever.

The majority of patients with COVID-19 experience mild symptoms and are able to recover with several days of rest. Please await notifications from the health authority and pay attention to whether symptoms worsen.
If the patient shows signs such as shortness of breath; difficulty breathing; continuous chest pain; unconsciousness; or cyanosis of the skin, lips, or nailbeds, please call 119, the Department of Health, or 1922 immediately.

How to protect yourself and others
✓ Avoid direct contact while taking care of people with confirmed cases of COVID-19. People with confirmed cases of COVID-19 are advised to stay in a private room and use a private bathroom; avoid leaving the room.
✓ Please refrain from directly taking care of a person with COVID-19 if you are at high risk of contracting COVID-19. This includes people aged 65 and above, those who are immunocompromised, or those with underlying illnesses.
✓ Visitors are prohibited. People with confirmed cases of COVID-19 should not come into contact with anyone other than their cohabitants.
✓ Avoid sharing meals or objects with people with confirmed cases of COVID-19.
✓ Should a caretaker need to enter the patient’s room, both parties must wear masks.
✓ Should the patient need to leave their personal room or be around their cohabitants, both parties must wear masks.
✓ When coming into contact with objects or surfaces that may be contaminated with the patient’s blood, please wear gloves.
✓ If the caretaker qualifies as someone who has come into close contact with the confirmed case (shared meals, cohabited, or coming into contact with each other for more than 15 minutes without wearing masks from three days before symptom onset to the day of quarantine) may not leave the house.
✓ Caretakers should monitor their own health while taking care of people with confirmed cases of COVID-19. Please monitor COVID-19-related symptoms such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath.
✓ After the caretaking period comes to an end, the caretaker should undergo home quarantine for 14 days starting from the day of last contact with the former patient.

Home hygiene
✓ Please use diluted bleach or alcohol to disinfect the surface of objects often used by people with confirmed cases of COVID-19. If the patient is able to take care of themselves, provide the aforementioned solutions for them to clean their environment.
✓ Disinfect your hands before and after coming into contact with confirmed cases of COVID-19 (use soap and water to wash hands, or use alcohol to disinfect hands) even if gloves are worn.
✓ Utensils used by people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 should be washed with dish detergent. Please wear gloves when washing these dishes and use soap and water to wash hands or use alcohol to disinfect hands afterward.
✓ Wash hands frequently and follow the correct steps. Do not touch your mouth, nose, and eyes.
✓ If you and a confirmed case absolutely have to share a space, please open the windows and ensure adequate ventilation. When sharing a bathroom, please prepare diluted bleach or alcohol and disinfect the bathroom after every use.