Sick In Taiwan? Five Things You Don't Want To Know

If you live in Taiwan and haven't caught a cold yet, time to get one. Good sources include elementary schools, crowded metro trains and elevator buttons. The subtropical island's mild winters are optimized to breed respiratory viruses, which spread fast in the dense population. Summer brings stomach flu and, in the south, dengue fever. A mild, passing illness such as a cold makes the perfect conversation starter to learn some odd truths about how Taiwanese see disease.