On Dec. 11, the Central Epidemic Command Center announced that a research assistant at the biosafety level 3 (P3) laboratory of Academia Sinica’s Genomics Research Center in Taipei’s Nangang District (南港) had been infected with COVID-19. This incident is shocking, but not entirely unexpected.
Laboratories are inherently dangerous places. Biosafety level 4 (P4) laboratories handle infectious and highly lethal pathogens such as Ebola, Lassa fever and the Marburg virus, which are often difficult to treat, whereas P3 laboratories study pathogens such as the tuberculosis bacterium and SARS-CoV-2, which are slightly less lethal, but still dangerous.
In 1967, African green monkeys transported from Uganda to Germany turned out to be infected with a virus that they passed on to humans, sickening 37 people, including laboratory researchers in Marburg and Frankfurt, and their family members, seven of whom died. The virus was named the Marburg virus after the location of this breakout.
During the 2002 to 2004 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), laboratory accidents occurred in Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore and Taiwan. The two SARS leaks that happened in Beijing in April 2004 were confirmed to have occurred at the Institute of Virus Research of the Beijing Disease Control Bureau, but even now the Chinese authorities do not know exactly where the infection came from. One of the two laboratories was studying the genetic material of SARS virus fragments, which theoretically could not have caused the infections, and the other laboratory’s work had nothing to do with SARS.
As for the SARS accident in Taiwan, the virus leaked from the National Defense Medical Center’s P4 laboratory in then-Taipei County’s Sansia Township (三峽) — now New Taipei City’s Sansia District — and the cause of the leak is still unknown.
There are currently about 59 P4 laboratories in operation around the world. Laboratory accidents range from small ones, such as mouse bites, pricks and tears in gloves and protective clothing, to larger events, such as the loss of negative air pressure or software failures.
Scientists still do not understand the risks of P3 and P4 laboratories well enough to assess the risks precisely, but it is generally believed that 100 times more accidents are caused by human factors than mechanical failures.
The most effective way to improve the situation would be to work out how to standardize experimental procedures.
In the US, for example, Boston University’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories require their researchers to undergo at least 100 hours of special training before they can work in a P4 laboratory.
Ian Hsu is president of a biotechnology company and a part-time assistant professor at National Chung Cheng University’s Department of Biomedical Sciences.
Translated by Julian Clegg
I came to Taiwan to pursue my degree thinking that Taiwanese are “friendly,” but I was welcomed by Taiwanese classmates laughing at my friend’s name, Maria (瑪莉亞). At the time, I could not understand why they were mocking the name of Jesus’ mother. Later, I learned that “Maria” had become a stereotype — a shorthand for Filipino migrant workers. That was because many Filipino women in Taiwan, especially those who became house helpers, happen to have that name. With the rapidly increasing number of foreigners coming to Taiwan to work or study, more Taiwanese are interacting, socializing and forming relationships with
Two weeks ago, Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) raised hackles in Taiwan by posting to her 2.6 million Instagram followers that she was visiting “Taipei, China.” Yeoh’s post continues a long-standing trend of Chinese propaganda that spreads disinformation about Taiwan’s political status and geography, aimed at deceiving the world into supporting its illegitimate claims to Taiwan, which is not and has never been part of China. Taiwan must respond to this blatant act of cognitive warfare. Failure to respond merely cedes ground to China to continue its efforts to conquer Taiwan in the global consciousness to justify an invasion. Taiwan’s government
Earlier signs suggest that US President Donald Trump’s policy on Taiwan is set to move in a more resolute direction, as his administration begins to take a tougher approach toward America’s main challenger at the global level, China. Despite its deepening economic woes, China continues to flex its muscles, including conducting provocative military drills off Taiwan, Australia and Vietnam recently. A recent Trump-signed memorandum on America’s investment policy was more about the China threat than about anything else. Singling out the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as a foreign adversary directing investments in American companies to obtain cutting-edge technologies, it said
The recent termination of Tibetan-language broadcasts by Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) is a significant setback for Tibetans both in Tibet and across the global diaspora. The broadcasts have long served as a vital lifeline, providing uncensored news, cultural preservation and a sense of connection for a community often isolated by geopolitical realities. For Tibetans living under Chinese rule, access to independent information is severely restricted. The Chinese government tightly controls media and censors content that challenges its narrative. VOA and RFA broadcasts have been among the few sources of uncensored news available to Tibetans, offering insights