The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Taiwan is now over forty. Public sentiment is growing tense. In the face of the virus wreaking havoc across the globe, the government and the media are not the only ones trying to disseminate the latest and most accurate information. Netizens of different backgrounds have banded together in the virtual world. They gather and publish data on how to protect themselves against the virus. Shoulder to shoulder, they stand against the harm and fear that COVID-19 has brought upon the world. 

Number of Masks in Stock Publicized, Digital Maps Drawn by Netizens 

Ever since the outbreak of COVID-19, respiratory masks became the key piece of equipment everyone needed to combat the disease. After the first confirmed case of COVID-19 appeared in Taiwan, the keyword “mask”(口罩) started trending on Google. Search frequency for this keyword reached record-breaking heights on January 30th.

However, even after the name-based mask rationing system was put into effect, and the location of purchase was moved from convenience stores to pharmacies and public health centers, the number of masks the government could provide was still limited. In order to help people purchase masks, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (健保署) published “a list showing the quantity of masks in stock at ministry- affiliated institutes” (健保特約機構口罩剩餘數量明細清單) in the format of a CSV file; this is part of their “health and insurance information open data service” (健康保險資料開放服務).

The release of government information paved the way for people to address the twin pain points of low stock and long waits. They initiated a “cyber warfare” against the virus. Social media platforms, private companies, and regular citizens came up with numerous online services that provide “real-time mask maps” and “Mask Finder”. These services visualize the quantity of masks in stock at different locations. Other netizens invented text-based chatbots that provide information on where to purchase masks. There are also iOS and Android apps that can help users find the nearest place where they can buy masks.

Every day, when an order of masks comes in, long queues form in front of pharmacies, big or small. Not only are the waits long and excruciating, it also interferes with the pharmacies’ operation. This is the reason that, in addition to showing the quantity of masks in stock, some have come up with “mask reservation systems” that pharmacies can use free of charge, allowing people to make reservations online and reduce waiting time.

Private citizens from different backgrounds have racked their brains to develop different services, which are all available on the official “mask supply and demand information platform” (口罩供需資訊平台 ). This also goes to show that essential open data infrastructure established by the government leads to various unfathomable and beneficial applications.

To Fight Fear with Truth, Netizens Build an Information Hub

As the virus spreads globally, the transmission of facts sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. Especially in private chat groups, it is very difficult to weed out outdated or incorrect information. Such a deluge of misinformation can be more harmful than the disease itself. Because of this, tech whizzes in Taiwan and Hong Kong have created their own information compilation and fact-checking websites for news about the COVID-19. 

In Taiwan, the “compilation of 2019-nCoV (Wuhan pneumonia)-related information” (2019-nCoV（武漢肺炎）相關疫情資訊彙整) website was established by a netizen with the g0v community. In addition to information about where to find masks, which is what most people are concerned about, there’s also travel information, explanation about individual cases, disease-related statistics, government announcements, and academic papers. Anyone can edit the website content, as long as they are verified with links to supporting materials. Particularly useful is the “media resources” section on the website, where infographics created by the government and other experts can be found. “Elderly-friendly” graphs can also be uploaded to make sure people of all ages receive the information they need to combat the virus.

In Hong Kong, where the shortage of masks is also an issue, the netizens associated with g0vhk created the “Wuhan pneumonia public information” (武漢肺炎民間資訊) website. Besides information provided by its Taiwanese counterpart, the Hong Kong variation also provides real-time estimation of the waiting time in emergency rooms, the names of shops affected by the virus, and locations under house quarantine. The website even has a blacklist of pharmacies suspected of inflating the price of masks. It’s a blunt reminder for local consumers. 

Epidemic Prevention Relies on Effective Communication

The outbreak of COVID-19 started in Taiwan a little over a month ago. Compared to countries like Japan and Singapore, public discourse in Taiwan is clearly more vibrant and vigilant. People have created dozens of privately and independently maintained tools and information platforms on the internet. This shows the powerful potential for mobilization in the Taiwanese civil society. 

The Taiwanese society has persevered at the outset of the epidemic. Facing an uncertain future, what should we keep an eye out for?

We need to disseminate information with the utmost care. We need to wholeheartedly and honestly cooperate with authorities in the public health system. We should not level accusations at panicked patients of the virus or succumb to panic ourselves.

This was the public reminder posted on Facebook by Chung-ming Hsu (許崇銘), a doctoral candidate at the National Taiwan University Department of Anthropology. Hsu has done research about the psychology of public health systems, and he has a background in medical anthropology. He points out that after the SARS outbreak in the early 2000s, Taiwan has achieved considerable success in basic public health education, and the government has also established a method of how to deal with such crises. 

Meanwhile, the thing we can all do is avoid spreading information about occurrences that happened in an uncertain timeframe or that is fragmented. Besides, while discussing about the virus, one should avoid defamation or victim-blaming, otherwise potentially infected cases may be too scared to come forth to receive treatment.

Even when all the tools we need are in place, people still need to be mindful of their attitude when sharing information. After all, it is just as Hsu stressed:

Human health, especially when it concerns public health, such as the containment of infectious diseases, has always relied on much more than just technological advances.

Have you read?
♦ Where is Globalization Headed Amid COVID-19 Epidemic?
♦ How Taiwan Fights COVID-19
♦ Desperation in Wuhan
♦ Apple Supply Chain Disrupted by Novel Coronavirus
♦ Coronavirus to Take Bite out of GDP - Can Taiwanese Companies Cope?

Translated by Jack Chou
Uploaded by Judy Lu