Thailand and Bangkok ‘most at risk’ from coronavirus, scientists warn

[sambum]

35 minutes ago, JohnnyBKK said:

Any idea how to go out of Thailand without seeing any chinese on the way ? I don't want to go to the airport.

JetSki?

[spidermike007]

Thailand has the resources to deal with this, no doubt about that. And they have very good medical facilities. But, do they have competent leadership? This is an emergency situation. It needs to be dealt with, and it needs a high degree of intelligence and competence. Not something Prayuth or Pipat, or Anutin possess. Someone else needs to handle this, someone with real expertise, and it needs to be handled yesterday!

 

This is really going to hurt tourism. What the authorities do not seem to get is that quantity over quality is never a good thing, unless you are selling one dollar items at a swap meet. It just lowers the quality of the experience for all. The tourism industry is teetering on the edge of a tragic drop, and has already been devastated by this highly destructive administration. All it needs now is a spread of this virus. It could crush millions of families dependent on tourism. I already know one family that has cancelled their trip over here. Why take a chance? Who can trust the Thai authorities, and what they say? Why trust them? What have they done to earn that trust?

 

And how many flights from China, are still coming into Thailand daily? That is a scary thought. I like the Chinese people, but do not want to be anywhere near them right now! My guess is that the majority of the world feels that way, and tourists have alot of choices. The last thing in the world a tourist wants out of their trip is a potentially deadly disease, or being quarantined. 

[Knocker33]

6 hours ago, khunpa said:

Sky News claims Thailand’s Health Minister has admitted that they can not stop this.

 

Yesterday the PM said it was 100% under control.

 

The fact is that it is already too late for Thailand and the country will suffer huge from this.

 

The big question is now, is how Thais will react to this, when hospitals start to get overcrowded? Because there is a good chance Bangkok will become like Wuhan.

Never trust anyone who grins in anally all the time

[Magenta408]

Pollution you can do something about. You can actively promote and enforce reducing the burning of sugar cane as suggested in the Bangkok Post of some days past. This virus thing is not new - SARS, Middle East Respiratory something or another, ZIKA, when pigs will fly and ad nauseum. So take the usual precautions - wash your hands, maintain a good diet, rest and like any three-day flu irrespective of where you are on this globe, it will go away.

[thesetat2013]

"Our target is we will be able to detect all carriers entering Thailand and we will apply necessary measures as the situation develops.

 

How do they expect to do this when there are no symptoms for 2 weeks and is contagious during that period as well????????????

[zydeco]

3 minutes ago, Magenta408 said:

like any three-day flu irrespective of where you are on this globe, it will go away.

Or you will.

[metisdead]

Some posts containing unsubstantiated content have been removed.  Please provide a valid link to the source of information when posting. 

[FNQ]

7 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Waiting for TATs respond.

Probably estatic to have a legitimate reason to say numbers are down.

[Parsve]

Is there anything with Thailand that not is dangerous?

[observer90210]

The authorities are looking at the good side of the outbreak,....massively invest in 3M shares ...

[Bangkok Barry]

BA have stopped all flights into and out of China for a minimum of two days. THAI will not do this of course, because money from Chinese tourists, whether or not they have the virus, takes priority. What Thailand should do, but won't, is suspend all flights from China.

Edited January 29, 2020 by Bangkok Barry

[Bundooman]

7 hours ago, buick said:

i've read similar warnings which also say to be very careful when removing the mask.  don't touch your face during the process (carefully use ear straps only for removal) and only use the mask once (that is for the standard surgical mask which as noted above, isn't 100% reliable in term of protection from the virus).

Yes, but the sheer logistics of replacing masks is enormous.

Eating three times a day requires a new mask. Showering also requires a new mask Five per day?

35 per week 140ish per month - for one person.

 

The country has already run out and there is nowhere to replenish from, yet.

Now multiply that by 70 million !

 

[Kalasin Jo]

7 hours ago, Lemonltr said:

If Thailand is No. 1 risk it should be No. 1 ahead of the world in prevention. As isolation seems to be the main answer they should stop all arrivals from China. The economic effect eventually will be much greater if they do not

You are probably right there, but I fear even if they did, it's also probably too late already, given the sheer volume of Chinese tourists coming to Thailand in tour groups as well as individually.

[Kalasin Jo]

17 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

BA have stopped all flights into and out of China for a minimum of two weeks. THAI will not do this of course, because money from Chinese tourists, whether or not they have the virus, takes priority.

Well Thai might be forced to by their staff. During the sars crisis they wouldn't fly me to Hong Kong, I believe because the cabin crews refused to take the risk. 

[timendres]

5 hours ago, 248900_1469958220 said:

Correct me if I am wrong but wouldnt the virus be less likely to survive in the heat that is here now, and the hotter temps to come? Flu virus likes cold or at least cooler weather than 33 + degrees celcius, surely ?

 

You are correct:

Quote

The study found that the infectious virus could survive longer at lower temperatures and inactivation, or the point where the virus can no longer affect people, occurred more rapidly around room temperatures or warmer environments. In the lower temperatures, the virus could survive on a stainless steel surface from 5 to 28 days at all humidity levels. It took longer for inactivation to occur with a low relative humidity, or a drier environment. In short, the coronaviruses typically survive longer and stay active longer at lower temperatures in a dry environment.

From: https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-wuhan-coronavirus/669458

 

However, I doubt this is going to make much of a difference with regards to the spread of this virus in Thailand.

[Chrysaora]

The Mrs. says she is going to open a bat soup stall at the airport.

[soalbundy]

Influenza kills thousands every year and nobody makes a fuss about it. Corona, corona, the new boy in town.

[stouricks]

1 hour ago, Magenta408 said:

Pollution you can do something about. You can actively promote and enforce reducing the burning of sugar cane as suggested in the Bangkok Post of some days past. This virus thing is not new - SARS, Middle East Respiratory something or another, ZIKA, when pigs will fly and ad nauseum. So take the usual precautions - wash your hands, maintain a good diet, rest and like any three-day flu irrespective of where you are on this globe, it will go away.

Sorry to disagree Magenta, but this virus IS something that you can do something about, as you suggest, wash hands, wear a mask, good diet, etc etc. Burning the sugar cane is something the Thai government and police can do sweet Fanny Adams about, they've tried but the farmers couldn't give a monkey's, they'll still burn and pay the Bht 30 a ton fine, 30Bht a ton....ridiculous.

[DrTuner]

5 minutes ago, timendres said:

You are correct:

From: https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-wuhan-coronavirus/669458

 

However, I doubt this is going to make much of a difference with regards to the spread of this virus in Thailand.

Here's a bit lengthier one: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2863430/

 

Washing machines in Thailand often don't have heated water (pulsator types), but the detergents and UV light (dry them in the sunlight) should kill pretty much anything.

[Bangkok Barry]

15 minutes ago, Kalasin Jo said:

34 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

BA have stopped all flights into and out of China for a minimum of two weeks. THAI will not do this of course, because money from Chinese tourists, whether or not they have the virus, takes priority.

Well Thai might be forced to by their staff. During the sars crisis they wouldn't fly me to Hong Kong, I believe because the cabin crews refused to take the risk. 

 

I've now edited the post to read two days, not two weeks. My apologies.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The daily reports from the Thai Department of Disease Control, at least their EN version, seem to be getting more and more obtuse and opaque in terms of providing any insight into what's going on with the virus here.

 

https://ddc.moph.go.th/viralpneumonia/eng/file/situation/situation-no25-280163.pdf

 

A 3+ page report on THAILAND doesn't even mention the details regarding Thailand until the bottom of page 2... And once there, the data provided is in large part difficult to reconcile and make any coherent sense out of.... But a few things do seem to be clear....beyond the 14 already diagnosed/confirmed cases of the virus.

 

--As of yesterday, there were 76 Patients Under Investigation in Thai hospitals, 54 at government hospitals and 22 at private hospitals.

 

--There are 102 cases in which laboratory results are pending.

 

Nowhere in the official Thai DDC document, which talks at length about Thailand's airport screening procedures for fever and other symptoms, does it note that virus carriers can be totally without any visible symptoms during the incubation period, rendering the effectiveness of the screening somewhat marginal.

 

 

[Orton Rd]

30 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

Influenza kills thousands every year and nobody makes a fuss about it. Corona, corona, the new boy in town.

Killed my grandad and he was only 26, it was 1918 though!

[DrTuner]

14 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

--There are 102 cases in which laboratory results are pending.

Report on 27th had PUI (Persons under investigation) 136, 79 pending.  28th PUI 158, 102 pending.

 

Clearly tells it takes a long time to get lab results. I still haven't found which hospitals or other institutes have labs capable of RT-PCR and having the correct biolab rating. Doesn't look like there's many.

Edited January 29, 2020 by DrTuner

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

More and more, authorities are turning to both quarantines and flight bans relating to China....

 

https://apnews.com/a980aeb44b3840341c674a6e67c19da6?

 

Quote

 

British health secretary Matt Hancock tweeted that “anyone who returns from Wuhan will be safely isolated for 14 days, with all necessary medical attention.” The measures are a step up from what the country did during the devastating 2014 Ebola outbreak, when returning travelers from West Africa were asked to monitor themselves for symptoms.

 

 

Quote

 

In Australia, health officials said the Chinese women’s national soccer team was quarantined in the city of Brisbane over concerns it had passed through Wuhan a week ago. The team will be kept in isolation in a hotel until Wednesday next week. None of the group of 32 players and staff has shown symptoms.

 

 

Quote

A plane carrying Americans who had been in Wuhan left for Anchorage, Alaska, where they will be re-screened for the virus. U.S. hospitals are prepared to treat or quarantine people who may be infected. After departing Alaska, the plane is to fly to Ontario, California.

 

[P100]

8 hours ago, Lemonltr said:

If Thailand is No. 1 risk it should be No. 1 ahead of the world in prevention. As isolation seems to be the main answer they should stop all arrivals from China. The economic effect eventually will be much greater if they do not

too late. the outbreak was ( what many don't know) already in Nov 2019 but was kept secret for 2 months. many are infected now.

 

8 hours ago, Traubert said:

Sounds highly scientific I must say.

 

[P100]

Just now, P100 said:

too late. the outbreak was ( what many don't know) already in Nov 2019 but was kept secret for 2 months. many are infected now.

 

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Clearly tells it takes a long time to get lab results. I still haven't found which hospitals or other institutes have labs capable of RT-PCR and having the correct biolab rating. Doesn't look like there's many.

 

Just fyi, the PUI totals they report seem to be cumulative back to the beginning, and they don't seem to get subtracted once someone has been cleared or recovered. So it's a misleading statistic in terms of the current situation.

 

There was a prior mention of the testing issue in one of their daily reports.... I believe their protocol said something about needing confirmation from two different labs. And my memory says there are a number of government and private hospital labs in BKK that are capable of conducting the testing.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Regarding the increasing flight bans for China I mentioned above....  Just now from AP:

 

[P100]

It's the great chance for Indians. They never interact with Chinese. Still, now their chance has come. Chinese infect Thais and Indians come to Pattaya to save Thai tourism industry and now can get their fair share and take it home  to India, from Thais. And India has similar potential like China... let's watch!

[SiSePuede419]

You would think the prices for flights from BKK to America through China would be dirt cheap right now with lots of people canceling.

 

But Google Flights says the cheapest flights for the next several months are through Qatar.

 

That's not without risk, also as they are forced to fly over Iranian airspace as Saudi Arabia has banned them from their airspace.

 

Thanks Jared, The Great Peacemaker. ????????????????????