Covid-19 News & Updates

[HHTel]

"Two patients had a fatal outcome reported. One died of asphyxia 5 days after"

"Serious Neurological Adverse Events after Invermectin"

I think I'll skip going to a vet and stick with doctors.

[nil]

"Two patients had a fatal outcome reported. One died of asphyxia 5 days after"

"Serious Neurological Adverse Events after Invermectin"

I think I'll skip going to a vet and stick with doctors.

It's actually a very safe drug with rare side effects, but don't let facts get in the way. As for the current crop of vaccines they have had more serious reported adverse reactions in the last few months of delivery than ALL vaccines for the last 20 years. Including blood clots, paralysis, blindness and death.

[GroveHillWanderer]

There is NO evidence that this drug works against Covid. Masses of info all over the net.

Get Trump to endorse it. That should slim republican numbers and leave the more sensible people to lead effectively.

I'm not so sure. There's evidence from some studies that it does work - and evidence from others that it has no effect.

There is an interesting preprint paper put together by a Professor Tess Laurie, a well-respected research consultant. She is director of the Evidence-based Medicine Consultancy in Bath, UK and works for both the NHS and the WHO.

The paper is a meta-analysis of numerous different studies (both random controlled trials and observational studies) into the use of Ivermectin and it finds that if you take all the different studies in total, the evidence that Ivermectin is effective against CoVid-19 seems to outweigh the evidence that it isn't.

Here's a link to it.

https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... guidelines

There's also a YouTube video where she discusses the paper with John Campbell, a former Senior Lecturer in Health Studies at the University of Cumbria who does regular Covid updates online.

https://youtu.be/D2ju5v4TAaQ

It's a bit long but interesting enough if you can wade your way through it.

The FDA warning rightly states that you can overdose on Ivermectin and that it can interact with other medications but that's true of almost any medicine you care to mention. When used properly and taken at the recommended doses, Ivermectin is one of the safest drugs known to medicine.

Over 3 billion doses have been given since it was first introduced, and it has had very few serious side effects. In fact most of the serious adverse events reported were actually found to be due to the toxic effects of dying parasites, rather than the drug itself.

As stated in a paper on the US National Institutes of Health website:

Ivermectin has continually proved to be astonishingly safe for human use. Indeed, it is such a safe drug, with minimal side effects, that it can be administered by non-medical staff and even illiterate individuals in remote rural communities, provided that they have had some very basic, appropriate training.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3043740/

[HHTel]

There are various clinical trials ongoing or about to start on various drugs including Invermectin. It's expected that no conclusion will be reached for 6 months or so. I will of course accept the outcome.

However, in the meantime, until there is any real evidence, it is highly recommended NOT to take it. Some studies have revealed serious side effects including death. Yes, there have been adverse reactions, including death, potentially relating to current Covid vaccines. These come from tens of millions of cases whereas the adverse results for Invermectin are from small studies. That alone should raise alarm bells.

Anyway, have a nice day. Mooooo!

[Big Boy]

I've just read Richard Barrow's summary of the Phuket re-opening meeting today. Actually, I haven't been able to read it all yet - some of it is soooo funny, I've had to save the rest for later (Thai logic at it's best ) The best I've read so far is they are extending the amount of time on Phuket from 7 to 14 days. That raised the question of being imprisoned on the island for 2 weeks. The authorities don't see it as a problem because most people only stay 5 days anyway, before moving elsewhere


Enjoy the rest................

This afternoon I was invited to a private meeting with the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand including senior executives to hear about the latest news about the #PhuketReopening on 1st July.
The good news is that it is almost certainly going ahead after the Center for Economic Situation Administration (CESA) meeting today which approved the #PhuketSandbox in principle. The CCSA is then expected to give its full approval on Monday and the Cabinet on Tuesday. Followed by publication in the Royal Gazette a few days later. The Governor told me that he was confident that there will be no holdups.
But, the biggest difference is that vaccinated tourists will now have to stay 14 days instead of 7 days IF they want to travel elsewhere in the country. This is because of national policy and the 14 day quarantine elsewhere. If quarantine is later reduced to 7 days again, then vaccinated tourists arriving in Phuket will only have to stay on the island for 7 days before going elsewhere.
To be very clear, no-one is saying you must spend 14 days on Phuket. It is not a prison sentence. The average holiday length before was 5 nights on Phuket. You are more than welcome to do that again. But you then must fly home from Phuket. You cannot go elsewhere in Thailand, including Phi Phi island in Krabi or James Bond Island in Phang Nga until you have been on the island 14 days AND your tests were negative.
Another piece of good news just released is that you CAN transit in Suvarnabumi airport before flying to Phuket as part of the Sandbox scheme. There will be a dedicated terminal and a dedicated flight for these people. So, if two or three flights arrive in the morning, everyone will be able to board the same flight to Phuket a bit later in the day. Your ticket will say, for example, London to Phuket.
This Phuket Sandbox is open to anyone. Not just foreign tourists. It includes expats and even Thais. But everyone has to be fully vaccinated by a vaccine that is recognised by the Thai government, WHO or your own country. You must also have the full set of jabs. So if the manufacture said TWO, then you must have two. For the time being, you cannot mix and match vaccines and you cannot just have one just because you have covid and you have an immunity.
You must also be flying to Thailand from a country that is regarded low to medium risk. The full list of those countries will be released soon and will be updated every few weeks.
Expats have asked me why they cannot stay in their own home if they fly to Phuket after 1st July. There is a very good reason. The point of this is to help boost tourism. That doesn’t happen if you are staying in your own home. You must pre book a SHA+ hotel or even hotels before you fly to Thailand. If you are staying 7 nights then you must book and pay for seven nights. But no-one is saying that you must sleep in the hotel. You can still go home. Up to you.
Registration for SHA+ hotels just opened this week and they already have over 400 hotels listed. These are not just expensive hotels. They are a range of hotels. More are being added all of the time. If you see a hotel listed as SHA (it is basically clean and obeys all the rules for the new normal) then you can presume at some point they will apply to be a SHA+ hotel. The plus just means that at least 70% of the workforce are vaccinated.
No-one is saying you need to book tour packages. You can just book hotels and then spend all of your time by the pool or on the beach. You can also wander freely around the island. You just cannot go on a boat trip to another island that is outside of Phuket province. Not during the first two weeks anyway. Also, if you are booking any tours, you need to make sure they are SHA+ as they offer the best protection. Believe me, all tour operators will be applying for this sticker.
About the covid free tests. The details are not known yet. You might be told to do the same three tests that quarantine tourists have to do. But that might be reduced to only two. Full details on this will be released next week. But to be clear, if you test positive you WILL be sent to hospital and that will be the end of your holiday.
So, this Phuket Sandbox is only for vaccinated people. However, if you are not vaccinated, then you can still do ASQ quarantine on the island for 14 days before then being free to go anywhere in Thailand. Like I said before, if the situation improves, this may be reduced to ten and even 7 days in the future for certain groups of people. but no guarantee on the timeline.
What about domestic tourists like myself? Well, the rules are expected to be much the same. If I fly to Phuket from Bangkok I will have to be vaccinated or do a covid-free test. But what I was told is that starting on 1st July, there will be a rapid test available on arrival in Phuket. That is not available now. Once I am there I can freely travel around the island. But, and this is a big but, I cannot do a day trip to say Phi Phi until I have been on the island for 14 days. There is no difference between internationals tourists and myself. However, if you can prove that you are an expat living on the island for more than 14 days then you can do so.
About bars and beer. There is a national rule to close all pubs and bars. Phuket won’t be allowed to be an exception to this rule. But it is hoped that rules will be relaxed by July for drinking alcohol in restaurants and hotels. Maybe others things will be relaxed by then. Of course, no guarantees about the future. After all, we are still in the middle of a pandemic.
I know a lot of you may know about the local taxi mafia and even the two tier pricing that spoils some holidays. I specifically asked the Governor of TAT about this. He said they will be taking this opportunity to clean up the situation to make sure that tourists are safe and that their holiday isn’t spoiled by scammers. He is also very much in agreement with me that the two price policy is bad for tourism. We have talked before on this. He said that when he saw the mayor this week and he was telling him they were building a toilet block on the beach, the governor told him he mustn’t charge the tourists more. It must be the same price for everyone.

[Osandpo]

Ivermectin is easily available in large bottles at many Thai pet shops. For those who believe in its efficacy against covid, it should be easy to obtain sufficient supplies.

Maybe this thread can then go back to the more mainstream Covid related issues?

[HHTel]

I read/listened to your post, BB (the beauty of text to speech). If I was a tourist, I'd be fighting the queues to have a wonderful holiday (sarcasm).
If you have a house on the island then of course you can stay there. BUT you must pay for a hotel. You don't have to stay there. Up to you. As long as you've paid for the hotel then you're welcome to live in your own house.

The whole situation is an embarrassment.

Unbelievable!!

[joelle]

I've just read Richard Barrow's summary of the Phuket re-opening meeting today. Actually, I haven't been able to read it all yet - some of it is soooo funny, I've had to save the rest for later (Thai logic at it's best ) The best I've read so far is they are extending the amount of time on Phuket from 7 to 14 days. That raised the question of being imprisoned on the island for 2 weeks. The authorities don't see it as a problem because most people only stay 5 days anyway, before moving elsewhere


Enjoy the rest................

This afternoon I was invited to a private meeting with the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand including senior executives to hear about the latest news about the #PhuketReopening on 1st July.
The good news is that it is almost certainly going ahead after the Center for Economic Situation Administration (CESA) meeting today which approved the #PhuketSandbox in principle. The CCSA is then expected to give its full approval on Monday and the Cabinet on Tuesday. Followed by publication in the Royal Gazette a few days later. The Governor told me that he was confident that there will be no holdups.
But, the biggest difference is that vaccinated tourists will now have to stay 14 days instead of 7 days IF they want to travel elsewhere in the country. This is because of national policy and the 14 day quarantine elsewhere. If quarantine is later reduced to 7 days again, then vaccinated tourists arriving in Phuket will only have to stay on the island for 7 days before going elsewhere.
To be very clear, no-one is saying you must spend 14 days on Phuket. It is not a prison sentence. The average holiday length before was 5 nights on Phuket. You are more than welcome to do that again. But you then must fly home from Phuket. You cannot go elsewhere in Thailand, including Phi Phi island in Krabi or James Bond Island in Phang Nga until you have been on the island 14 days AND your tests were negative.
Another piece of good news just released is that you CAN transit in Suvarnabumi airport before flying to Phuket as part of the Sandbox scheme. There will be a dedicated terminal and a dedicated flight for these people. So, if two or three flights arrive in the morning, everyone will be able to board the same flight to Phuket a bit later in the day. Your ticket will say, for example, London to Phuket.
This Phuket Sandbox is open to anyone. Not just foreign tourists. It includes expats and even Thais. But everyone has to be fully vaccinated by a vaccine that is recognised by the Thai government, WHO or your own country. You must also have the full set of jabs. So if the manufacture said TWO, then you must have two. For the time being, you cannot mix and match vaccines and you cannot just have one just because you have covid and you have an immunity.
You must also be flying to Thailand from a country that is regarded low to medium risk. The full list of those countries will be released soon and will be updated every few weeks.
Expats have asked me why they cannot stay in their own home if they fly to Phuket after 1st July. There is a very good reason. The point of this is to help boost tourism. That doesn’t happen if you are staying in your own home. You must pre book a SHA+ hotel or even hotels before you fly to Thailand. If you are staying 7 nights then you must book and pay for seven nights. But no-one is saying that you must sleep in the hotel. You can still go home. Up to you.
Registration for SHA+ hotels just opened this week and they already have over 400 hotels listed. These are not just expensive hotels. They are a range of hotels. More are being added all of the time. If you see a hotel listed as SHA (it is basically clean and obeys all the rules for the new normal) then you can presume at some point they will apply to be a SHA+ hotel. The plus just means that at least 70% of the workforce are vaccinated.
No-one is saying you need to book tour packages. You can just book hotels and then spend all of your time by the pool or on the beach. You can also wander freely around the island. You just cannot go on a boat trip to another island that is outside of Phuket province. Not during the first two weeks anyway. Also, if you are booking any tours, you need to make sure they are SHA+ as they offer the best protection. Believe me, all tour operators will be applying for this sticker.
About the covid free tests. The details are not known yet. You might be told to do the same three tests that quarantine tourists have to do. But that might be reduced to only two. Full details on this will be released next week. But to be clear, if you test positive you WILL be sent to hospital and that will be the end of your holiday.
So, this Phuket Sandbox is only for vaccinated people. However, if you are not vaccinated, then you can still do ASQ quarantine on the island for 14 days before then being free to go anywhere in Thailand. Like I said before, if the situation improves, this may be reduced to ten and even 7 days in the future for certain groups of people. but no guarantee on the timeline.
What about domestic tourists like myself? Well, the rules are expected to be much the same. If I fly to Phuket from Bangkok I will have to be vaccinated or do a covid-free test. But what I was told is that starting on 1st July, there will be a rapid test available on arrival in Phuket. That is not available now. Once I am there I can freely travel around the island. But, and this is a big but, I cannot do a day trip to say Phi Phi until I have been on the island for 14 days. There is no difference between internationals tourists and myself. However, if you can prove that you are an expat living on the island for more than 14 days then you can do so.
About bars and beer. There is a national rule to close all pubs and bars. Phuket won’t be allowed to be an exception to this rule. But it is hoped that rules will be relaxed by July for drinking alcohol in restaurants and hotels. Maybe others things will be relaxed by then. Of course, no guarantees about the future. After all, we are still in the middle of a pandemic.
I know a lot of you may know about the local taxi mafia and even the two tier pricing that spoils some holidays. I specifically asked the Governor of TAT about this. He said they will be taking this opportunity to clean up the situation to make sure that tourists are safe and that their holiday isn’t spoiled by scammers. He is also very much in agreement with me that the two price policy is bad for tourism. We have talked before on this. He said that when he saw the mayor this week and he was telling him they were building a toilet block on the beach, the governor told him he mustn’t charge the tourists more. It must be the same price for everyone.

- "the biggest difference is that vaccinated tourists will now have to stay 14 days instead of 7 days"
now that's an improvement, a big advantage of getting vaccinated
- "you must book and pay for seven nights. But no-one is saying that you must sleep in the hotel. You can still go home. Up to you"
how wonderful just proves once more how much they care about money over people!!
And one could go on .....

[HHTel]

Numbers from FB 5th June:

New cases: 2,817 including 315 from the prison system.
Deaths: 36.

Recoveries: 3,396
145,933 cases since Apr 1st.

[PeteC]

I think we're seeing almost identical numbers day in and day out (+ - 500 or so) from the general population because they reach the limit of their ability to test within the community, and walk-in's to hospitals stay more or less constant day to day. There's a hell of a lot more out there IMO that is not known about, yet.

[PeteC]

phpEwta8DPM.jpg (77.66 KiB) Viewed 591 times

Official COVID-19 update in Thailand on Saturday
* 174,769 people infected (+2,817)
* 124,093 discharged from hospital (+3,396)
* 49,490 in hospital
* 1,213 deaths (+36)
Imported cases - 56
Domestic cases - 1,295
Proactive case finding in communities - 1,151
Cases found in correctional facilities - 315
Number of people who received vaccines:
1st dose: + 90,917
2nd dose: + 90,438
Total: 4,142,944

As of Saturday, 1,195 (+13) patients are in critical condition, with 376 (+15) of them relying on ventilator.

[PeteC]

^ You'll notice that vaccinations are WAY up on the day. Higher than it's ever been for 1 day. Typo/incorrect, or did they actually get their new supply in circulation so quickly after just receiving it yesterday?

[HHTel]

It's common knowledge that the majority of infections rise out of factories, building sites and their accommodation camps. It's also known that these places are manned by people from Myanmar. Would the figures be the same if the workers were Thai.
Just my own thoughts and not in any way meant to be racist. It's already been pointed out that there are around 200,000 unregistered/illegal workers. Many of these workers go back and forth over the border between here and Myanmar with no checks. Bearing in mind that the prelude to this '3rd wave' was caused by illegal crossings. If that hadn't happened and the coup in Myanmar forcing even more illegals, I firmly believe that we wouldn't be in this situation. Either way, the government should have seen this coming.

[Big Boy]

Today's Brief:

[joelle]

Each province's daily domestic COVID-19 cases update in Thailand on Saturday 5th June
FB link for reference: https://www.facebook.com/nbtworld