Bkk Brian

Testing positivity rate in Phuket now up to 16.49% https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/index.php?dashboard=province

Its in at least 71 Provinces, is now the dominant strain, yet new cases numbers keep decreasing. Thailand needs to carry out a study to see what its formula is for containing Omicron so effectively PCR test positive cases, total of 7,133 official new infections. 12 official covid deaths recorded. Rapid tests positive cases, 1,423 bringing the total of PCR and ATK results to 8,678 https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/ Rolling 7 day average chart (up to 9th Jan) https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus/country/thailand

Why are you asking me questions if you don't care, better to just put me on ignore or avoid the thread. Better still seeing as you know whats going to happen set up a youtube channel and pretend you're an expert epidemiologist.

For a comparison here is the latest update on S.A. situation from yesterday including hospitalizations and deaths compared to both previous waves they had there, follow the twitter thread link for full details and more charts, testing, positivity rates etc https://twitter.com/rid1tweets/status/1480223643334500353

Yong has spoken again, lets hope this does not lead to more school closures. Thailand’s top virologist has warned that children could become supers readers of COVID-19, especially for the Omicron coronavirus variant, which is more transmissible than previous strains. See more: https://twitter.com/NBTWORLDNews/status/1480479536177238018

Just as well he keeps up with twitter then passes the news to Thailand.

A grandfather and a grandmother of an 8-month-old child were driving around 3 provinces, Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Pathumthani to look for a hospital for the kid who tested positive for Covid and none of them took the child in. A volunteer group สายไหมต้องรอด helped them in the end https://twitter.com/erich_parpart/status/1480470312558813184 https://www.khaosod.co.th/special-stories/news_6825267

The general consensus from the experts is that it replicates faster in the throat in the first 3 days so nasal swabs may not be as effective in that period.

Omicron: How the world’s fastest spreading virus could also end the pandemic Far more transmissible than previous variants, Omicron has risen to become the world’s second-most contagious virus – closely behind measles. Omicron is expected to take over from Delta as the dominant COVID-19 strain soon. The new variant was responsible for half of the infections confirmed at the Ramathibodi Hospital’s Centre for Medical Genomics in the past few days. “Home isolation will be the main mode of treatment, as we will reserve hospital beds for those with identified risks and serious conditions,” he said. He emphasized that only those who think their condition is worsening should go to the hospital. https://www.thaipbsworld.com/omicron-how-the-worlds-fastest-spreading-virus-could-also-end-the-pandemic/

Phuket well and truly the most infected Province in Thailand by far per 100k population

Seems a bit misleading to me, Omicron was not even a thing back on 1st Nov. They should move that date up to a more recent timeline such as end of Dec - Jan 09 Out of 15,345 Covid samples that were taken from around the country between November 1 and January 9, 5,397 or 35.17% were #Omicron and 9,929 or 64.71% were Delta, the CCSA said on Monday. https://twitter.com/ThaiEnquirer/status/1480419970760601601

Covid infected people who enter home isolation will be monitored and provided with medicine, food, thermometer and oximeter, the government spokesman Thanakorn said on Monday amid criticisms that many infected people are being left to their own means at home. https://twitter.com/ThaiEnquirer/status/1480402638759874561

Phuket 513 new cases, no deaths https://www.facebook.com/phuketinfocenter/posts/461472678841247

Thai News Reports: Surat Thani health officials are reporting 74 new cases on the islands and no deaths: Koh Samui 28 , Koh Pha-ngan 42 , and Koh Tao 4 #COVID19 https://twitter.com/ThaiNewsReports/status/1480389304736047107

32 new Covid-19 cases confirmed in Koh Chang As many as 32 new Covid-19 cases were confirmed in Koh Chang on Sunday prompting a temporary closure of the Mu Koh Chang National Park. The Trat provincial public health said on Sunday that 48 cases had been confirmed on Sunday, eight of whom had recovered. Of them, 15 were found in Koh Chang and 17 in Koh Chang Tai. https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40010900

Your confusion is your own making, my personal situation has nothing to do with PCR tests. My wife would not be taken away to hospital if she reported it as there is a home isolation policy here in Phuket for those who have suitable accommodation and have mild or no symptoms, no follow up PCR test is given or asked for. Like I said that only comes into play if she develops symptoms that need care. Savvy?

Great news and shows that the booster lasts without need for another. Figures show that around three months after they received the third jab, protection against hospitalisation among those aged 65 and over remains at about 90%.

Thats a worldwide problem with ATK tests although not so much in countries which have more sensible measures for isolation. However this is about the dismal PCR testing rates in Thailand which I was referring to, the official ones, so wind back a little amigo. If my wife develops moderate symptoms and we feel she needs medication or care then she will be informing authorities as is the advice given by Thailand.

Nobody is hiding behind a sofa, well perhaps some of the anti vaxxers as they're getting pushed out of society. Its also not a cold for everyone, that's a very dangerous statement to make, while symptoms are less and can be similar to a bad cold, some people do still need hospital treatment and it needs to be carefully monitored when there is such a huge amount of people all getting infected at the same time. Thanks to countries that are transparent with information and do adequate testing we have evidence of just how much milder it is, especially in those who are vaxxed and boosted. However there is still enormous strain on the hospital system and particularly the frontline staff.

Here's the important stats on ICU numbers and those that are currently ventilated. From 1st Jan, as you can see a slow decline in line with the previous descending delta wave. Yesterday saw a small uptick. https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/

My wife got home last night after attending to her dads funeral after a period of sickness (old age). She did an ATK (nasal) before boarding the flight, negative, then one again on arriving home (saliva), positive. She is now isolating in the bedroom, no symptoms as yet, the bedroom has en suite facilities and is large so its not a huge inconvenience. No she has not reported it. We know of multiple people here in Phuket who have it and the school my daughter goes to although now back online they have informed us that even if they were onsite learning then a large proportion of the students would be off as they are positive. Its rife here as it probably is now throughout all the major hubs of Thailand. The testing figures are an insult to everyone, no official published figures for a long time and a total disregard for letting people know the true extent of the spread.

PCR test positive cases, total of 7,926 official new infections. 13 official covid deaths recorded. Rapid tests positive cases, 1,423 bringing the total of PCR and ATK results to 9,349 https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/ Rolling 7 day average chart (up to 8th Jan) https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus/country/thailand

Thats what people were shouting about with deaths in South Africa, they are going down, till they didn't and have now caught up and rising and have been since early Dec.. Nowhere near the delta wave levels but the "pathetic and weak" Omi rhetoric is not useful. I agree its hopeful and lets all hope its the beginning of the end but there's a long way to go yet and lots of unknowns here in Thailand.

Last year there was a Prof from a Bangkok University interviewed by FCCT. His team was testing sewerage waste in different areas of Bangkok and finding covid samples, at the time Thailand was reporting zero cases. He contacted the relevant authorities and was ignored each time. The same way they implemented bubble and seal to migrant camps, left them all there to infect themselves and not bother testing them. All keeps the numbers nice and low.

Not all PCR tests in UK are subsequently sequenced, impossible to do that many daily. PCR tests in the UK can pick up Omicron through the S gene drop out however so no need to sequence them all. However it depends on the PCR test kit used, some brands do not pick it up and I think Thailand is referring to these. New PCR test developed by the JRC can detect Omicron variant, latest testing by EU scientists confirms RT-PCR COVID Test Kit To Detect Omicron Approved In India