Covid-19 News & Updates

[hhinner]

A UK doctor's view:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/ ... oronavirus

You have to think it's probably worse for medical staff here in Thailand.

[sateeb]

It's reports like this and others I've read that reinforces my earlier view that Boris and his gang are more concerned about costs to the NHS than containment.

[HHTel]

Somewhere amongst all these articles is the theory that the virus does not do well outside the body in hot climates. In other words, it lasts only a very short time on surfaces, whereas some experts say it lasts up to 9 days on surfaces in colder climates. Something to do with the fat on the surface of the individual virion.

I think this is almost more than a theory now and they are testing to prove it conclusively.

No difference once it's inside your body.

I've been a subscriber to your belief that the hot weather will deter this virus. You do point out that it only really affects it's survival on surfaces and once in the body then the weather is not a factor. So in hot climes you have a lesser chance of catching it from a surface. However, you can still catch it by being in contact with an infected person or by airborne infection.

I say this in the light of the latest figures here (if they are to be believed). We're are now entering the hottest time of the year and until now the numbers have remained pretty static. But in the last two days there have been 65 new cases (32 + 35).
Let's see how the next couple of weeks fare.

[hhinner]

I think the biggest risk of infection in Thailand isn't so much from contamination of surfaces, door handles, etc.(because of the heat maybe), but more from sharing of food, drinking from same glass/cup, sharing cigarettes etc. I've noticed that in some places at least there's a noticeable use of gels and of cleaning.

I came to Honda for a car service today. There are gel bottles all over. And when the office staff arrived, out came the antiseptic wipes and all surfaces, keyboards, phones, etc. were wiped down. This would be by management decree I imagine. But how do the staff behave outside work is the question.

[hhinner]

Covid-19 suppression efforts will have to be maintained until vaccines become available, potentially 18 months or more. Latest report from Imperial College Faculty of Nervine, London.

"The major challenge of suppression is that this type of intensive intervention package – or something equivalently effective at reducing transmission – will need to be maintained until a vaccine becomes available (potentially 18 months or more) – given that we predict that transmission will quickly rebound if interventions are relaxed. We show that intermittent social distancing – triggered by trends in disease surveillance – may allow interventions to be relaxed temporarily in relative short time windows, but measures will need to be reintroduced if or when case numbers rebound. Last, while experience in China and now South Korea show that suppression is possible in the short term, it remains to be seen whether it is possible long-term, and whether the social and economic costs of the interventions adopted thus far can be reduced."

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mrc-global-i ... ronavirus/

[PeteC]

Cabinet approves plans to close schools, postpone Songkran

This is a Breaking News story. As they say at the bottom, we'll update more when the Bangkok Post does.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... e-songkran

The cabinet on Tuesday approved plans to postpone next month's Songkran New Year holiday and to close schools to limit the spread of the coronavirus, a government spokeswoman said.

The approvals followed a series of plans announced on Monday to close schools, bars, movie theatres, cockfighting arenas and other entertainment centres as well as postpone the Thai New Year holiday, which falls between April 13 to 15.

"The cabinet approved that the Songkran holiday be postponed and schools closed," Ratchada Thanadirek, the government's deputy spokeswoman, told Reuters.

She added that closures of entertainment venues would be up to the discretion of each provincial governors, adding that more details would be available later.

- More to follow -

[PeteC]

Bloomberg Worldwide Update (March 17)

https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/18805 ... rus-update

[sateeb]

Coronavirus: Europe plans full border closure in virus battle.

The European Commission is planning to ban all non-essential travel throughout Europe's Schengen free-travel zone as more countries close their borders to try to limit the spread of coronavirus.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she would ask leaders to implement the measures on Tuesday.

"The less travel, the more we can contain the virus," she said.

French President Emmanuel Macron earlier said the EU's external borders would be closed to travellers.

"Concretely, all trips between non-European countries and EU countries will be suspended," Mr Macron said in a televised address on Monday.

Source. BBC News

Probably a wise move. I wonder how the UK reacts.

Also may have ramifications for people already here in Thailand.

[PeteC]

Mandatory sim and app used to track down movement

Can anyone spot what is wrong with this plan? Or at least what is wrong with it the way the story is written.

https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/mand ... n-movement

A free sim card valued at 49 baht is being provided by The National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) to every foreigner as well as Thais who had have travelled from countries that have have been designated as ‘high risk’ of Covid-19 infections. These countries include China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Italy, and Macau (as of the time of publishing). According to NBTC secretary-general Thakorn Tanthasit, the AoT Airports’ new application has more than 7,000 downloads since it went live on March 12.

“The sim card will be used together with the AoT Airports application, to help track the position of users for 14 days to verify that they remain in quarantine. The app will track the position of the phone for 14 days and will alert authorities if it leaves the designated quarantine area. After 14 days have passed, it will stop tracking and the system will delete the data immediately.”

“The NBTC has coordinated with the Immigration Bureau to ask all arrivals from high-risk countries to download this app on their phone. Those who refuse to comply will be denied access to the Kingdom, according to Section 12 of the Immigration Act.”

“As for those who had entered Thailand before March 12 and have not downloaded the app yet, the Department of Disease Control will submit their names to the NBTC so that we can notify them to download the app as soon as possible.”

“Currently we are monitoring about 1,300 Thais who have returned from South Korea and tested negative for Covid-19. However, they still have to remain in self-quarantine at home until the incubation period of 14 days has passed, and this app can tell us exactly where they are at all times.”

[sateeb]

Just leave your phone in your room.

[PeteC]

Just leave your phone in your room.

[HHTel]

Even my 10 year old grandson spotted that immediately.

[HHTel]

It does appear that Thailand's cases are increasing by around 30+ per day (32, 33, 30)

Are we to expect a sudden spike as has been seen in other countries?

[ahandpatsy]

With respect international travel. I note Eva have cancelled and europe and america is no go. But i cannot see anything specific about thailand cancellations. My flight is 2 weeks away and i am not hopeful. But i have not seen evidence about specific airlines cancelling thai flight's. Apart from eva if course. Im guessing airports will shut first in uk. Am i missing something my flights are turkish and qatar. Keep safe everyone. I have had the test and its not pleasant. Bendy stick up the nose. Done at doorstep by suited nhs official. My neighbours think i am leper.....

This may be of some use - continually updated.

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020 ... o-warnings

Turkey banned all UK flights for 30 days thats me screwed. See you in June hopefully

[ahandpatsy]

With respect international travel. I note Eva have cancelled and europe and america is no go. But i cannot see anything specific about thailand cancellations. My flight is 2 weeks away and i am not hopeful. But i have not seen evidence about specific airlines cancelling thai flight's. Apart from eva if course. Im guessing airports will shut first in uk. Am i missing something my flights are turkish and qatar. Keep safe everyone. I have had the test and its not pleasant. Bendy stick up the nose. Done at doorstep by suited nhs official. My neighbours think i am leper.....

This may be of some use - continually updated.

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020 ... o-warnings

Turkey banned all UK flights for 30 days thats me screwed. See you in June hopefully

and now UK Government said non essential travel banned stopped for 30 days. Airports closing soon.