Taiwanese medical researcher
Chang Shan-chwen (Chinese: 張上淳) is a Taiwanese medical researcher and academic administrator. He convenes the advisory specialist panel of the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), which is associated with the Centers for Disease Control in Taiwan.[1] Chang Shan-chwen is vice president of National Taiwan University and professor of medicine in the university's medical college.[2]
Academic background
Chang has previously held posts including chief of the Division of Infection, Immunology and Rheumatology within the Department of Internal Medicine at National Taiwan University Hospital; and dean of the National Taiwan University College of Medicine.[citation needed]
COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
Chang regularly attended press conferences to provide updates about the coronavirus in Taiwan.[3] He says that of the current confirmed cases in Taiwan, the symptoms are mainly fever, respiratory symptoms, and loss of olfactory taste.[4]
He noted that the two groups most susceptible to coronavirus are students and members of tour groups.[5] He has also said there has been an increasing numbers of confirmed COVID-19 infected patients with diarrhoea.[6] He has noted that the CECC decided to expand screening to patients with pneumonia – hoping to detect those infected with COVID-19 more quickly and before they infect others.[7] In March 2020, Chang helped to investigate one particularly mysterious domestic case of COVID-19.[8]
Chang responded to questions about links between smoking and susceptibility to symptoms of the coronavirus, saying it is too early to draw conclusions.[9] He has also pointed out that his colleagues have been communicating with The World Health Organization (WHO), which is taking a great interest in how Taiwan is dealing so effectively with the coronavirus.[10]
