It was reported that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) began feeling “slightly unwell” on Tuesday and tested positive for COVID-19. Although the president only had mild symptoms, she subsequently canceled her public engagements on the advice of her medical team.
Her decision was criticized by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Yang Chih-tou (楊植斗), who said that Tsai was using her positive test result as an excuse to “get away from her duties.” Despite having sparked a backlash with these comments, Yang stepped up his rebuke by calling the Medigen COVID-19 vaccine that Tsai received “as effective as holy water.”
It was only when a KMT grandee pointed out his mistake that Yang apologized and admitted that he had “acted without thinking.” The apology notwithstanding, the incident calls for some discussion.
First, people have no idea and no control over when they might contract the COVID-19 virus. This is like Yang accidentally falling over and hitting his head while campaigning on the street. He should have shown empathy and not indulge in schadenfreude and launch political attacks when Tsai was ill. I wonder how Yang would feel if people questioned him for using his fall to garner sympathy votes or that he was using it as an excuse to stay in bed and avoid duties.
Furthermore, as Tsai is 66 years old, she is a high risk patient and even qualifies for the use of antiviral medication. A trivial “cold” can develop into a severe illness. As head of state, she needs rest to recover fully.
It is also wrong for people who have tested positive to leave their house, as they could spread the disease to others. For those with a weak immune system, being infected could lead to serious complications.
It should also be said that the Medigen COVID-19 vaccine is anything but holy water. The Medigen vaccine is not some hocus-pocus founded on religious beliefs without scientific evidence. It is a legal vaccine approved by the government and the Emergency Use Authorization authority.
There are many cases of patients who, despite having received the Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT) and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, still contracted the disease twice. Should BNT and Moderna vaccines be considered “holy water” as well? People get vaccinated to reduce chances of developing serious symptoms and death, but it does not mean they are completely immune to the disease.
As an elected representative, Yang should weigh his words more carefully and remember that politicians are always under the media spotlight.
Lin Yung-zen is president of the Taiwan Primary Care Association and a supervisor of the Taiwan Pediatric Association.
Translated by Rita Wang
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