Hua Hin Forum

Some truth to this!

YNWA

Not great comparisons.

1918 'flu was an H1N1 virus. There was no cure and no treatment and was particularly serious in attacking the stronger immune system of young adults.The death figure varies immensely from 17 - 50 mill and other sources from 50 - 100 mill. So somewhere between 17 million and 100 million!!

2018 - the common 'flu shouldn't be in the equation as it's controllable with vaccines etc. and will probably be similar in following years. i.e. we know what to expect.

2020 Covid, like the 1918 'flu epidemic has no vaccine and no cure and is running out of control in some parts. Until a vaccine and effective treatment is developed, there doesn't appear to be an end in sight.
Unlike 'flu, we don't know what to expect.

Sighting death as a percentage of world population is an over simplification.

buksida wrote: ↑Sun Jul 19, 2020 1:54 pm 95% say 'no foreigners' to prevent 2nd Covid wave
A vast majority of Thais -- 94.51% -- say foreigners should be barred from entering the country to prevent a second wave of the Covid-19 spread, according to an opinion survey by the Suan Dusit Rajabhat University or Suan Dusit Poll.............

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... -wave-poll

The foreigners they need to worry about are not your vacation seekers, they are Thailand's neighbors on the Burma, Lao and Cambodian sides. Malaysian borders are smaller and better controlled.

The above three borders are porous, and even with hundreds of extra patrols, the natural crossings are simply too numerous, and those people want to come here to work. To make matters worse illegal crossings are being facilitated by business owners throughout Thailand who pay to have these people picked up and trucked to various work destinations, totally ignoring the law concerning Covid screening and all the other immigration laws.

Look closer to home Thailand to see and understand the real threat.

For "foreigners" read: White Westerners. Asians don't consider other Asians as foreigners and have always been xenophobic toward non-Asians. Maybe Admiral Perry & the the East India company, et al, should have stayed home.

^^ I don't think you know many Thais. Some central Thais are xenophobic regarding southern Thais and Isaan Thais (Lao and Khmer), nevermind foreigners.

It Really does beggar belief at times.....

"Anti-mask activists gathered in Hyde Park to protest the mandatory wearing of face coverings in shops and supermarkets.

Demonstrators at the event in London on Sunday were seen carrying signs that read “no masks” and “I will not be masked, tested, tracked”, in opposition to the UK government’s coronavirus restrictions.

One speaker at the event wore a g-string on her face in protest, while a man was pictured wearing a vest which said: “Save human rights. No to 5G. No to vaccinations.”

The protest was set up by the group “Keep Britain Free”, which was founded by businessman and entrepreneur Simon Dolan.

Mr Dolan lost a High Court bid earlier this month to overturn the government’s lockdown for the pandemic.

Face coverings will be made mandatory in shops from 24 July, with a fine of up to £100 for those who disobey the rule.

Clare Wills-Harrison, one of the event’s organisers, told Sky News that the protesters were “campaigning for the return of our rights and liberties”."

Full Article & Video: - https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/h ... 27446.html

hhinner wrote: ↑Mon Jul 20, 2020 12:05 pm ^^ I don't think you know many Thais. Some central Thais are xenophobic regarding southern Thais and Isaan Thais (Lao and Khmer), nevermind foreigners.

That's just regular phobia, like in the US, Southerners don't like Northerners. Xenophobia is fear of foreigners.

Coronavirus: Oxford vaccine triggers immune response

A coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford appears safe and triggers an immune response.

Trials involving 1,077 people showed the injection led to them making antibodies and T-cells that can fight coronavirus.

The findings are hugely promising, but it is still too soon to know if this is enough to offer protection and larger trials are under way.

The UK has already ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-53469839

Symptom tracker app reveals six distinct types of COVID-19 infection

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-heal ... SKCN24I1YI

LONDON (Reuters) - British scientists analysing data from a widely-used COVID-19 symptom-tracking app have found there are six distinct types of the disease, each distinguished by a cluster of symptoms.

A King’s College London team found that the six types also correlated with levels of severity of infection, and with the likelihood of a patient needing help with breathing - such as oxygen or ventilator treatment - if they are hospitalised.

The findings could help doctors to predict which COVID-19 patients are most at risk and likely to need hospital care in future waves of the epidemic.

“If you can predict who these people are at Day Five, you have time to give them support and early interventions such as monitoring blood oxygen and sugar levels, and ensuring they are properly hydrated,” said Claire Steves, a doctor who co-led the study.

Besides cough, fever and loss of smell - often highlighted as three key symptoms of COVID-19 - the app data showed others including headaches, muscle pains, fatigue, diarrhoea, confusion, loss of appetite and shortness of breath.

The outcomes also varied significantly; some got mild, flu-like symptoms or a rash and others suffered acute symptoms or died.

The study, released online on June 16 but not peer-reviewed by independent scientists, described the six COVID-19 types as:

1 ‘Flu-like’ with no fever: Headache, loss of smell, muscle pains, cough, sore throat, chest pain, no fever.

2 ‘Flu-like’ with fever: Headache, loss of smell, cough, sore throat, hoarseness, fever, loss of appetite.

3 Gastrointestinal: Headache, loss of smell, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, sore throat, chest pain, no cough.

4 Severe level one, fatigue: Headache, loss of smell, cough, fever, hoarseness, chest pain, fatigue.

5 Severe level two, confusion: Headache, loss of smell, loss of appetite, cough, fever, hoarseness, sore throat, chest pain, fatigue, confusion, muscle pain.

6 Severe level three, abdominal and respiratory: Headache, loss of smell, loss of appetite, cough, fever, hoarseness, sore throat, chest pain, fatigue, confusion, muscle pain, shortness of breath, diarrhoea, abdominal pain.

Patients with level 4,5 and 6 types were more likely to be admitted to hospital and more likely to need respiratory support, the researchers said.

Government will extend State of Emergency act by one month
Thailand’s cabinet and its emergency covid response center said on Wednesday it will extend the State of Emergency act by one month despite activists and protesters demanding its end.

The government has said that the coronavirus situation remains precarious and that the emergency decree is needed to ensure close cooperation between intergovernmental agencies and to restrict the movement of people into the country.

Despite the existence of the decree, government slip ups have resulted in the partial closure of Rayong province after an administrative error saw Egyptian officials avoiding state quarantine and enter the country. An Egyptian official later tested positive for the virus.

Political analysts and activists have also questioned the extension of the decree as Thailand has not seen a coronavirus case outside of state quarantine in two months.

“You have to question why they would need to use this decree considering they haven’t seen a case in the public in two months,” said Arun Saronchai, a Thai political analysts.

“It begs the question whether they are using the law as a shield against growing public discontent and the rising number of protests.”

The emergency act has been used by police and other security officials in the past to end protests or arrest protesters, who they say are endangering public health by congregating in large numbers.

https://www.thaienquirer.com/15907/gove ... one-month/

This really shouldn't be in the covid news thread as it has f-all to do with the virus.

Thousands of foreigners to be allowed entry

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/19 ... owed-entry

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has approved the entry of foreign business reps, specialists, diplomats, migrant workers, exhibitors, film crews, medical tourists and Thailand Elite card members.

CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin said on Wednesday the centre approved their arrival in principle and relevant ministries would work out details before their visits would begin.

He said approvals include businesspeople and specialists under special arrangement, and diplomats. They would be taken to state quarantine facilities. The Foreign Ministry would finalise details for their visits.

The Labour Ministry would handle details for bringing in unskilled workers from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar to meet the demand for labour.

This included 69,235 workers who already had work permits and visas and wanted to return to work in Thailand. Local employers planned to bring in another 42,168 workers who do not already have work permits or visas. They would be employed in the construction and food production sectors.

The companies demanding these workers would have to arrange for "organisational quarantine" at their own premises, where each room could accommodate more than one worker for cost effectiveness. Such quarantine facilities must meet disease control standards and be able to prevent migrant workers from getting out during quarantine.

Conventional state quarantine, in which a room served only one person, would cost nearly 20,000 baht per person and that was not wanted by the companies, Dr Taweesilp said.

The CCSA also resolved to allow in foreign exhibitors. The number wanting entry to Thailand was growing, he said.

More than 6,000 foreign exhibitors had registered for entry to attend trade fairs from September to December. They would be taken to "alternative state quarantine" hotels and their trips and venues for business negotiations would be subject to disease control measures.

The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau would handle disease control measures for these visitors, Dr Taweesilp said.

Foreign film crews would also go to alternative state quarantine. Medical and wellness tourists would be quarantined while receiving medical treatment, and later be able to visit local tourist destinations.

Addressing the 7,255 members of the Thailand Elite Card scheme who live in other countries, he said the Tourism and Sports Ministry planned to first welcome about 200 members back into the country.

Dr Taweesilp said the influx of people would stimulate the economy.

PeteC wrote:
Dr Taweesilp said the influx of people would stimulate the economy.

It will take more opening up for this to happen. Maybe not full opening, but at least make it more easy for foreigners to enter, and maybe allow for home quarantine as many other countries do, especially for people who has relatives and family I Thailand.


YNWA

A possible explanation based on modelling for the low amount of Covid in Thailand and this region.


A preceding low-virulence strain pandemic inducing immunity against COVID-19

Countries highly exposed to incoming traffic from China were expected to be at the highest risk of COVID-19 spread. However, COVID-19 case numbers (infection levels) are negatively correlated with incoming traffic-level. Moreover, infection levels are positively correlated with population-size, while the latter should only affect infection-level once herd immunity is reached. These could be explained if a low-virulence strain (LVS) began spreading a few months earlier from China, providing immunity from the later emerging known SARS-CoV-2 high-virulence strain (HVS).

https://arxiv.org/abs/2007.07154

These could be explained if a low-virulence strain (LVS) began spreading a few months earlier from China,

As Thailand's first case was discovered in mid January and the first 'reported' case in China was in December, that statement would presuppose that the virus was spreading from China some months before even China identified it.

That would also question the validity of the virus originating in Wuhan in Nov/Dec 2019.

I think there were reports of the virus being identified in samples taken some months prior to December/January (France maybe). In any case this would not preclude a more virulent strain coming out of Wuhan.