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Hong Kong actor Wong He, who's known for his role as a firefighter in TVB action drama "Burning Flame", has suffered a nosebleed after taking a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test at the Taoyuan airport in Taiwan.
Claimed that healthcare worker caused him to bleed
The 54-year-old took to Facebook on Sunday (Apr. 3) with a selfie of himself wearing a mask stained with blood, and claimed that his nose started bleeding after a healthcare worker conducted a PCR test on him.
In his post, he said that the female healthcare worker, who was about 1.5-metre tall and clad in PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), had shoved a nasal swab up his right nostril while pushing his head forward.
When he recoiled from the pain, the medical worker had apparently asked him to bear with it and said it wouldn't hurt the second time.
However, she allegedly shoved the nasal swab up his nose again while pushing his head forward, which caused Wong's nose to bleed.
Thereafter, Wong claimed that the healthcare worker had fled the scene and was nowhere to be found. When he asked the other medical workers present about her, none of them knew her name nor her whereabouts.
Referring to her as a "murderer", Wong also called for her to be captured and held responsible for her deed.
Wong's Covid-19 result turned out to be positive that day, and he was sent to Nantou city for quarantine.
Wong also claimed that he was given toilet paper that was 3-metre long to stop the bleeding, to which renowned Taiwanese plastic surgeon Wang Shu-wei responded and said he knew the medical professional who stepped in to help stop Wong's bleeding.
Refuting Wong's allegation that the toilet paper was "3-metre long", Wang claimed that the toilet paper was given to Wong to stop the bleeding as nosebleeds "typically" stop after a short while. Wang also claimed that Wong was given a new mask for him to wear instead of the bloodied mask as it was unhygienic.
From his Facebook updates, Wong appeared to have worn the bloodied mask as he travelled from the airport to his accommodation at Nantou county, a journey of about three hours.
Taiwan's official response
Chuang Jen-hsiang, spokesperson for Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), subsequently responded to Wong's assertions, saying that it is possible for nosebleeds to occur while taking PCR tests, Now News reported.
He also said the healthcare worker that conducted the PCR test on Wong had not fled, but had went away to send the sample for testing. He further claimed Wong had rejected the help that other medical staff had offered.
Wong, however, said he does not know who Chuang was, and shared a black and white picture of him.
His response later invited backlash from Taiwanese Facebook users, prompting him to apologise to Chuang for his "rude, reckless and unfriendly behaviour". He also called for the medical worker in question to give him an explanation for the incident.
Chuang later said at a press conference that he accepted Wong's apology, and hoped Wong makes a quick recovery.
Taiwan's Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung also said while all visitors to Taiwan are guests, they should cooperate with local staff and abide by local Covid-19 safety measures, Yahoo News (Taiwan) reported.
He further said no unruly behaviour towards healthcare workers is allowed, and that visitors can feedback through the official channels should they experience any discomfort during the testing process after landing in Taiwan. He also acknowledged the hard work of all healthcare workers, as well as the risk they have to endure in the course of their work.
In response to a question if nasal swabs used for visitors who land at the airport are thicker than usual, he said it was a baseless allegation, adding that while swabs are not all the same depending on their manufacturers, they are not custom made for the airport either.
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All images via Wong He's Facebook