In the previous article, I wrote to my colleagues about my days fighting the epidemic in Zhunan. I wanted to document the process during that time and let more colleagues understand the situation. Later, I was surprised to receive enthusiastic responses, and also to hear from more than 500 people during our event for sharing epidemic prevention experiences. I read all the reports and felt that during this period everyone’s mood gradually changed from being anxious to being at ease, and their life and work slowly returned to normal. I was quite happy with that – I know it wasn’t easy.

Reading the reports of colleagues who tested positive, I could sense their anxiety, and realized they were treated differently in their life and at work. I was extremely sad. I don’t like to refer to them as “confirmed cases.” They were “infected” and everyone could be “infected.”

Regarding the “different looks” mentioned in the previous article, sometimes those were unintentional and without malice. They just didn’t understand. Therefore, I wanted to give colleagues a better understanding of the situation of these “infected people,” open their hearts to accept and allow people to be warmly accepted after their recovery and return to normal social life.

Since the beginning of June when some colleagues tested positive, they finished treatment and recovered fully. The first infected colleagues were kept alone in a room or at home for at least a month because we didn’t know how to deal with them.

Despite the Central Epidemic Command Center stipulating that “infected people” could return to normal life as long as they undergo 10 days of hospital treatment and 7 days of self-isolation, our colleagues were “still worried.”

I asked the CDC (the doctors who were also my reference for epidemic prevention) what would be the best arrangement. Finally, our company decided to add another PCR test after the 10+7 days. And as long as the PCR test result was negative, or the CT value was greater than 35, we would arrange for colleagues to come back to work.

However, if the CT value was lower than 35, they should remain off to recover but still get paid. At that time, we thought that such an arrangement was reasonable and quite rigorous, and it would reassure other colleagues — currently, the Taiwan government’s de-isolation standard is that the CT value is greater than 30.

However, the reality was different. Even with a negative PCR test and a CT value greater than 35, there were still colleagues who were worried and couldn’t accept that “once infected” colleagues were back to work.

Days ago, I received mail from an infected colleague:

“I did my fifth PCR test last Friday. The Health Center received the report on Monday afternoon with a CT value of 36.1. I was released from isolation on June 18, and my parents were both negative for the second time. Currently, my report for CT value is 35, which meets the company’s requirement for resuming work. However, my supervisor is worried that I’m not fully recovered and asked me to take sick leave/menstruation leave and wait until I test negative. I saw on the news that some people could still test positive after 3 or 4 months. If that’s the case, I wouldn’t have enough sick leave, even if I had one year’s worth of leave. I told my former supervisor that the healthcare personnel asked me to confirm the time of resumption of work directly with them. The former supervisor also expressed the hope that I would continue to take sick leave/menstrual leave. And that if I insisted on going to work, I should try my best to go to the Hsinchu Plant and book a conference room. I ride a scooter to work. I hope that if I need to go to the Hsinchu Plant, at least I can take the company shuttle.”

It was such a sad mail to read. This employee went through the “10+7+7+7” days, a full 31 days of isolation, and the CT value has finally exceeded 35. He was so happy that he could finally return to work but still couldn’t make it in the end.

This letter made me think about the rights of these colleagues to live a normal life. They were infected unwillingly, and they took the initiative to receive treatment and finally recovered back to full health. Why can’t they be accepted and return to their duties? I can’t help but wonder, what kind of mood would I be in if I were the infected person?

So, I wrote back: “You can come to work. If there is a problem, come sit next to me. My seat is located on the 4th floor, in the production management area. You don’t need to work in the Hsinchu Plant.” You are no longer infectious, don’t worry, but you should still pay attention to your physical condition. All colleagues in the company who have been infected are treated the same way. Everyone returns to work according to the same rules.

I also shared my discussion with the epidemic prevention doctor:

The public health unit lifted the isolation ban for someone because he is no longer infectious.

Asymptomatic or mild symptoms for more than 10 days, are considered non-infectious.

CT value over or equal to 30 is considered non-infectious.

There was more than one similar case. We had another colleague once infected that went to a Chinese medicine clinic. Once the health insurance card was inserted and showed the PCR positive record, he was kicked out of the clinic.

Many people may not understand what this feels like, but Accton colleagues should understand. Back when there was a confirmed case reported in the Accton Zhunan plant, by saying “I work at Accton,” you would be refused to enter many places. As if the staff of Accton were all confirmed cases. But even then, some colleagues don’t feel the same way and can’t accept people returning to work if they were once infected. This happens to us that have been through it, not the ones who have not experienced the epidemic in person.

I may not be able to convince the rest of society, or all my colleagues at once (after all, I can’t even convince my wife for so many years), but I would like to say to the people who were once infected: “I can give you warmth, I am willing to accept you, I hope I could be a little light for you in the darkness, I want to accompany you back to normal life.”

That’s why I immediately wrote back to my colleague and said “Yes, you can come back to work, come, sit next to me.”

According to the regulations of the Central Epidemic Command Center, if the “infected” are allowed to return to society, then they can return to society and can go to work and live normally. Not only them, but everyone should also take good care of themselves, prevent the epidemic, and perform self-health monitoring. We should respect the judgment and methods of experts because they know better than we do. They have already taken each situation into account before they set such methods.

After I reported my problem to the Central Epidemic Command Center, they immediately took action. During the process of fighting the epidemic, I was very grateful for the Central Epidemic Command Center letting Commander Wang Pi-Sheng come to Miaoli to set up the Advance Command Center, which really helped our company a lot.

The following is a statement from the Central Epidemic Command Center. There are several key points: (1) Even if we take medical staff who are under the highest risk as the standard, (2) release from isolation is equal to recovery and (3) as long as the discharge standards are met, you can live and work normally, and a PCR negative isn’t required.

At last, I still would like to say that 12,273 people have been discharged from isolation in Taiwan. We may encounter people who have recovered from the infection when walking on the street. If we dare to go out and walk on the streets, go shopping at the stores, eat at restaurants, colleagues we work with would report their health conditions every day and we have more knowledge about the situation, then why should we worry? These colleagues once infected have gone through a very hard time. Let us warm them up and help them return to a normal life together.