TallGuyJohninBKK

The COVID vaccines do their best job of protecting people for about the first 4-6 months post vaccination. Many people who wrongly believed or were told COVID is no longer a threat haven't kept current with recent boosters or gotten the newer bivalent vaccines that just recently have become available in Thailand. Not surprisingly, amid the current COVID spike here, suddenly, lots more people asking about how and where to get vaccinated. Particularly if someone is among the COVID risk groups, wise to keep up with the COVID booster shots. Year or two year old shots are likely to have minimal or much decreased protection now.

Curiously, both news reports here say COVID deaths doubled last week from the week before, but dont mention the actual weekly numbers of COVID deaths. For the record, MoPH's official weekly COVID deaths count 2 weeks ago was 10. The actual official COVID weekly deaths tally for last week was 22 according to MoPH -- again, I believe, the highest weekly total of 2023. In addition: --322 current COVID cases among the total hospitalized in serious condition. --And, 163 current COVID hospitalizations so sick that they've had to be intubated in order to enable them to breathe. Now 320 official COVID deaths thus far this year in Thailand, and 12,437 total COVID hospitalizations. https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/

Compared to the latest report of 2,356 new COVID hospitalizations last week, the comparable number at the start of April for Thailand was under 200 per week. That's now six straight weeks of increased COVID hospitalizations and a total more than 12 fold increase over that period of time. And now by far the highest weekly total of new COVID hospitalizations thus far in 2023 -- though still lower than the comparable weekly numbers from last year. Bottom line: COVID has not gone away or disappeared in Thailand, and now is on a continuing spring spike that began before the start of Songkran. The current weekly stats equate to an average of 336 new COVID hospitalizations per day... with serious condition and intubation hospitalizations due to COVID also rising. Despite the WHO's recent declaration ending their public health emergency status for COVID, as the WHO noted at the time, COVID is continuing to sicken and kill many people around the world -- even if most are older age and otherwise vulnerable. Now the question is, will next week bring yet another, 7th straight week of rising COVID hospitalizations in Thailand? How long will the current spike continue?

Yes to most of the OPs questions above, speaking from personal experience. Yes, you can buy Echo Dots or Shows abroad in yr home country (if sold there) and bring them here and use them here for streaming. I've also bought several (updated models) while living here via Amazon U.S and had them reshipped to me here via a private reshipping service. (Dont know if Amazon would ship them directly here, as I never use Amazon to ship anything here directly). Here, I have both a Thai Spotify account, which is lower priced than in the U.S. by a wide margin, and my free Amazon Prime member Amazon Music account linked to my Amazon Echo devices. One issue I cant advise on is the local internet connection (using a Thai IP vs a foreign IP via VPN, because all my home internet is US VPN derived. And everything from setup to use works great. Ive never tried to do the same with a Thai IP address. Though once my Dots and Shows were set up, they have streamed via my Thai Spotify account just fine when connected at misc times via a Thai IP address. I rarely use Amazon Music's strseaming over Spotify, so I cant speak for whether it functions here with a Thai Ip address/connection.

I'd settle for fewer people dying than the 7 million officially claimed by COVID, with the real number of COVID deaths estimated to be closer to 15-20 million. The public health agencies need to do better, particularly at communicating more effectively and more clearly, so as to not give more space to the disease deniers, anti-vax wingnuts, and conspiracy theory peddlers.

The BKK Post report on this says this same guy previously had been prosecuted for the exact same kind of offense -- but no mention if that prior go-round had led to a conviction and sentence. The Post report also says the guy used to work for a "well-known Thai carrier." 29 alleged victims over the past couple years.

Just the opposite, actually.... Study finds lifting mask mandates led to thousands of new COVID cases in Mass. schools "Massachusetts school districts that lifted mask mandates immediately after the state relaxed its requirement in February saw far more COVID-19 cases than districts that retained the policy voluntarily, according to a new study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. The new research from authors at Harvard University, Boston University and the Boston Public Health Commission provides evidence for supporters of mask mandates as they call for school districts to enact protections against future surges." https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2022/11/09/study-finds-lifting-mask-mandates-led-to-thousands-of-new-covid-cases-in-mass-schools And as for the inevitable false claims: Fact Check-Masks do not expose children to dangerous levels of carbon dioxide https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-masks-children/fact-check-masks-do-not-expose-children-to-dangerous-levels-of-carbon-dioxide-idUSL1N2P929B "Experts consulted by Reuters said there is as yet no significant evidence to confirm masks cause speech development delays in children." https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-masks-child-speech-development-idUSL1N2U62CO

No, I was told by the IO a couple years back I needed to provide the TM30 in order to have my extension processed, and thus I did. But as I said above, that was not the case in the past year or two.

The Thai MoPH lately has been promoting both flu vaccine shots and Covid vaccine shots for everyone who hasn't had one lately.... because of the recent surge in new COVID hospitalizations. Nothing has been canceled in terms of Thai COVID vaccinations. Just the opposite, the MoPH and BMA lately have gotten more active in promoting them.

I've only ever been on a retirement extension, never been on a marriage extension. And I've been asked for a TM30 at BKK-CW in the past, though not for the past year or two of annual visits.

You always have to wait for this kind of footnote, usually buried somewhere in the article: "Despite the extraordinary length of the sentences, under Thai law Wantanee and Metee will be imprisoned for a maximum of 20 years each." In reality, it's probably going to be more like, each sentenced to 12,000+ years.... and likely will be walking free in another 6 months or so.... Unless, they're released on bail after being sentenced -- as shockingly can happen here -- and then they disappear before ever serving their sentences.

Here's the full chart... COVID deaths among infants and young people in the U.S. were almost double the rate of deaths from influenza and pneumonia during the period of the study, August 2021 through July 2022. Non-disease causes like birth defects, accidents, suicides and assaults top the list of causes. COVID still killed 800+ young people in the U.S. during the year studied. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2800816

You neglected the following from the same source: "Findings Among children and young people aged 0 to 19 years in the US, COVID-19 ranked eighth among all causes of deaths, fifth in disease-related causes of deaths (excluding unintentional injuries, assault, and suicide), and first in deaths caused by infectious or respiratory diseases."

Your sarcastic comment above is continuing to repeat disproven misinformation... Fact check: Face masks do not cause “terrible damage” to the brain by depriving it of oxygen By Reuters Staff A video being shared online has falsely said face coverings do nothing to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus and will instead deprive the brain of oxygen, causing damage to adults and developmental issues in children. ... Firstly, there is no evidence to suggest face masks cause oxygen deprivation that is “dangerous” to adult brains or that prevent a youthful brain from developing properly. A study from U.S. researchers in July found an average face mask did not limit the flow of oxygen to the lungs – and even in test subjects with severe lung diseases (here)." https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-oxygen/fact-check-face-masks-do-not-cause-terrible-damage-to-the-brain-by-depriving-it-of-oxygen-idUSKBN2761ZW And Fact Check-Masks do not expose children to dangerous levels of carbon dioxide By Reuters Fact Check August 3, 2021 Online claims that children wearing face masks for COVID-19 are being exposed to dangerous levels of carbon dioxide are false. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends face masks for children over the age of two for protection against the spread of COVID-19." https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-masks-children/fact-check-masks-do-not-expose-children-to-dangerous-levels-of-carbon-dioxide-idUSL1N2P929B

BTW, anyone here who thinks Omicron has been easier on young children compared to its COVID predecessors is sorely mistaken... Not only have COVID deaths among children risen in the U.S. from 2020 to 2021 to 2022, as detailed above... But also, the CDC noted the following in March 2022: "During March 1, 2020–February 19, 2022, weekly hospitalization rates (hospitalized patients per 100,000 infants and children aged 0–4 years) peaked during Omicron predominance, in the week ending January 8, 2022, at 14.5. This peak hospitalization rate during Omicron predominance was approximately five times the peak during Delta predominance (2.9) (week ending September 11, 2021) (RR = 5.0; 95% CI = 3.8–6.8). Hospitalization rates among infants aged <6 months were approximately six times as high during the peak week of Omicron predominance (68.1) as during Delta predominance (11.1) (RR = 6.1; 95% CI = 3.9–10.0);" "Similarly, ICU admission rates during Omicron predominance peaked at approximately 3.5 times the peak rate during Delta predominance." https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7111e2.htm And then there was this: Unvaccinated children hospitalized at twice the rate during Omicron surge -U.S. study April 20, 2022 "April 19 (Reuters) - Hospitalization rates for unvaccinated children ages 5 to 11 were twice as high as among those who were vaccinated during the record COVID-19 surge caused by the Omicron variant, according to a U.S. study released on Tuesday. For every 100,000 unvaccinated children in the age group, 19.1 per were hospitalized with COVID-19 between mid-December and late February, compared with 9.2 per 100,000 vaccinated kids, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. ... It found that among the 397 children who were hospitalized with COVID when Omicron was dominant, 87% were unvaccinated, one third had no underlying medical conditions, and 19% were admitted to an intensive care unit." https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/unvaccinated-children-hospitalized-twice-rate-during-omicron-surge-us-study-2022-04-19/

You mean someplace like the U.S. or U.K., perhaps, which both had among the highest rates of COVID deaths in the world among developed countries? That's not a record most people would want to be proud of.

This study below looked at COVID deaths in the U.S. for a slightly broader age group, from 0 to 19 years of age, so called CYP (Children and Young People). January 30, 2023 Assessment of COVID-19 as the Underlying Cause of Death Among Children and Young People Aged 0 to 19 Years in the US Findings Among children and young people aged 0 to 19 years in the US, COVID-19 ranked eighth among all causes of deaths, fifth in disease-related causes of deaths (excluding unintentional injuries, assault, and suicide), and first in deaths caused by infectious or respiratory diseases. COVID-19 deaths constituted 2% of all causes of death in this age group. Importance COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death for more than 940 000 individuals in the US, including at least 1289 children and young people (CYP) aged 0 to 19 years, with at least 821 CYP deaths occurring in the 1-year period from August 1, 2021, to July 31, 2022. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2800816

And as regards children's COVID-associated deaths in the U.S. during 2022, which includes the Omicron period during that year -- the CDC says 586 deaths for the year from newborns to age 14, actually a significant increase from the 418 for the same age groups in 2021, and that was an increase over 2020. So anyone claiming children can't and don't die from COVID is simply wrong... Their share of deaths is small compared to the older population group deaths. But there nonetheless are hundreds of children's COVID deaths every year, even during the period of Omicron, as reported separately by the WHO and the U.S. CDC: In CDC speak, a COVID associated death means the death certificate determined either that COVID was the underlying/primary cause of death or a contributing cause, along with other factors. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7218a4.htm?s_cid=mm7218a4_e&ACSTrackingID=USCDC_921-DM104749&ACSTrackingLabel=This Week in MMWR%3A Vol. 72%2C May 5%2C 2023&deliveryName=USCDC_921-DM104749#T1_down

They know this, as previously posted and linked above:

The WHO says more than 400 COVID deaths of children age under 5 years of age in the past year. More than 1.4 million reported COVID infections in that age group during the same period. Once again, you're long on unsourced speculation, and short on facts. https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiYWRiZWVkNWUtNmM0Ni00MDAwLTljYWMtN2EwNTM3YjQzYmRmIiwidCI6ImY2MTBjMGI3LWJkMjQtNGIzOS04MTBiLTNkYzI4MGFmYjU5MCIsImMiOjh9

COVID cases are rising in multiple countries in SE Asia right now, particularly in India and Malaysia, along with Japan and South Korea elsewhere in Asia, and Thailand is hardly alone in looking at what kinds of public health measures can be deployed to limit the spread. "At the country level, the highest numbers of new 28-day cases were reported from the United States of America (392 480 new cases; -37%), the Republic of Korea (330 509 new cases; +22%), Japan (251 158 new cases; +24%), India (222 784 new cases; +540%), and France (197 190 new cases; +2%)." https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20230504_weekly_epi_update_141.pdf?sfvrsn=ec8d9490_4&download=true

And further, elsewhere in SE Asia: Marcos: Gov’t might require use of face mask again amid rising COVID cases May 01, 2023 WASHINGTON, D.C., United States — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Sunday (US time) said the government might bring back the mandatory use of face masks in the Philippines amid the recent rise in COVID-19 cases. Marcos said his administration is studying the current trends of COVID-19, particularly looking at the rate of increase of the occurrence and its baseline, among other factors." https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1763195/marcos-says-govt-might-require-use-of-face-mask-again-amid-rising-covid-19-cases

Wrong about that, re claiming no other place in the world has been thinking about renewed COVID public health safety measures focused on school children. Coronavirus: Malaysia may reintroduce mask mandate at schools due to resurgence in subvariant Covid cases Guidelines and the standard operating procedure will be released before Malaysian schools reopen on May 2 Since September, the use of face masks on school premises was no longer mandatory, but it was encouraged https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3218538/coronavirus-malaysia-may-reintroduce-mask-mandate-schools-due-resurgence-subvariant-covid-cases "“To control the spread we urge all school-goers to wash their hands frequently and wear face masks in close crowded places, do self-checks and if you feel sick do not go out, use the TRIIS (test, report, isolate, inform and seek) if you catch an infection, use Paxlovid from the nearest health clinic for high risks individuals and get a primer vaccine or booster shot,” Dr Radzi said in a statement today." https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/05/05/health-d-g-finds-slight-uptick-in-covid-19-cases-as-schools-reopen-after-raya-wesak-break-urges-parents-to-monitor-kids/67749

Actually, neither is the COVID "pandemic" over. Because the WHO doesn't legally declare the beginning or end of health pandemics. They only declare their "Public Health Emergency of International Concern" status. "The U.N. health agency’s officials said that even though the emergency phase was over, the pandemic hasn’t finished, noting recent spikes in cases in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. WHO says thousands of people are still dying from the virus every week, and millions of others are suffering from debilitating, long-term effects." ... "WHO doesn’t “declare” pandemics, but first used the term to describe the outbreak in March 2020, when the virus had spread to every continent except Antarctica, long after many other scientists had said a pandemic was already underway." https://apnews.com/article/who-declares-covid-emergency-over-pandemic-8b6445735df5218b5d9d6ec32fa047ca AND "IS COVID-19 STILL A PANDEMIC? Yes. Although WHO chief Tedros said the coronavirus emergency was over, he warned that the virus is here to stay and that thousands of people continue to die every week. “The risk remains of new variants emerging that cause new surges in cases and deaths,” Tedros said. “What this news means is that it’s time for countries to transition from emergency mode to managing COVID-19 alongside other infectious diseases.” https://whyy.org/articles/virus-outbreak-who-pandemic-explainer/

That article is about a certain kind of applied chemical surface disinfectant -- nothing to do with washing your hands with soap and water. And likewise, nothing to do with alcohol based hand gels that people commonly use.