Thailand confirms first human-to-human coronavirus transmission, total number of cases now at 19

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Thailand confirms first human-to-human coronavirus transmission

 

Chinese tourists buy protective masks at a department store in Bangkok, Thailand January 30, 2020. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand has seen its first case of human-to-human transmission of the new coronavirus inside the country, a health official said on Friday, as it raised its total number of cases to 19, the second-highest after China.

 

The first patient to contract the virus inside Thailand is a Thai taxi driver, said Tanarak Pipat, deputy director-general of the Department of Disease Control.

 

"(He) ...does not have the record of traveling to China, and it is likely that he was infected (by) a sick traveler from China," Tanarak said.

 

Authorities have conducted virus scans on 13 people, including three family members, who the taxi driver came into contact with. They said that initially none of them had tested positive for the virus.

 

"The overall risk of infection in Thailand is still low, but people should take precautions to protect themselves," Tanarak said.

 

The taxi driver is one of five other coronavirus cases confirmed in Thailand on Friday.

 

Seven of the 19 cases have recovered and gone home while 12 are still being treated at hospitals. All but two of the cases are Chinese tourists visiting the country, the health authority said.

 

The vast majority of the almost 10,000 cases identified have been in China, mostly in and around the virus' epicentre of Wuhan, and health authorities worldwide are seeking to keep the infection from spreading.

 

There have been at least nine cases of human-to-human transmission in five countries outside China: the United States, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and now Thailand.

 

The World Health Organization is looking closely at cases of person-to-person transmission outside of Wuhan, which would suggest that the virus may have the potential to spread further.

 

(Additional reporting by Panu Wongcha-um. Writing by Kay Johnson; editing by John Stonestreet)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-01-31

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[Jonathan Fairfield]

 

[Netease]

And now it begins. I wonder how many passengers he carried or came in contact with before he stopped driving 

[kotsak]

Buckle up guys...

 

[Titan1962]

Hopefully they can control this a bit better than the burn off season.

 

[smedly]

12 minutes ago, Netease said:

And now it begins. I wonder how many passengers he carried or came in contact with before he stopped driving 

exactly

[Cake Monster]

3 minutes ago, Titan1962 said:

Hopefully they can control this a bit better than the burn off season.

 

This was the News that many people did not want to hear.

The ability to control this Virus, will only be as good as the people that have control of the resources.

This could get very Ugly.

[khunpa]

Anyone surprised? 

 

No wonder the PM who announced 100% control has gone to bed.

[Golden Triangle]

How many of you are familiar with the Nursery Rhyme 'Ring A Ring O Roses' ? Look it up ???? 

 

I wonder if there will be a Nursery Rhyme for this little Corona cutie 

 

Round and round the world we go,

Spreading germs and death galore,

 

Feel free to add to it...............................

 

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

27 minutes ago, Netease said:

And now it begins. I wonder how many passengers he carried or came in contact with before he stopped driving 

 

The dam here finally broke....

 

And now, 220 more potential cases of sick people where the Thai authorities are currently waiting for coronavirus lab tests to be completed. Those may or may not end up being confirmed to have the virus.

 

https://ddc.moph.go.th/viralpneumonia/eng/file/situation/situation-no27-300163.pdf

 

 

Edited January 31, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[lovesthespicy]

So basically anyone who road in this guys taxi is at risk. This could explode quickly.

[thisisrascal]

Seasonal flu still kills more, RTA's still kill more etc etc (repeat to fade)

[holy cow cm]

19 or 12 they say now can jump exponentially large numbers way too quickly. Stop bringing in the Chinese and flying to China now. What does this government have to do to get a brain and then a heart. this is not Kansas and they are not the Wizards of Oz!. 

Edited January 31, 2020 by holy cow cm

[khunpa]

3 minutes ago, lovesthespicy said:

So basically anyone who road in this guys taxi is at risk. This could explode quickly.

It already has weeks ago. The results are just starting to show up slowly now.

Thais will be a huge hit for Thailand. Their lust for Chinese tourist has backfired big time.

[sammieuk1]

Its the person to PM transmission that could be more interesting #????

 

[Rimmer]

Unattributed troll post removed

[khunpa]

20 minutes ago, thisisrascal said:

Seasonal flu still kills more, RTA's still kill more etc etc (repeat to fade)

I am pretty sure many said exactly the same in Wuhan in the beginning. Turned out great... 

[BestB]

Prayut told us it’s 100% safe. Nothing to worry about . Well I guess there is something to worry about 

[4MyEgo]

Was brave enough to go to town today, i.e. an hours drive to do a quick stint a Makro, less than 10 items hoping to exit in the under 10 line quickly, appears sme had the same idea, and I was surprised to see a few Thai's wearing surgery masks, all looking at my N95 as if to say, what the f is that.

 

Whether it protects me any better or not, I feel it is better than a skimpy surgery mask, hopefully time doesn't have to tell me.

 

School holidays coming in 6 weeks, might have to keep the kids home, now that is going to hurt, 4 kids !!!

[JHolmesJr]

40 minutes ago, lovesthespicy said:

So basically anyone who road in this guys taxi is at risk. This could explode quickly.

 

Chances increase if he actually returned any customers their rightful change.....altho highly

unlikely.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Was brave enough to go to town today, i.e. an hours drive to do a quick stint a Makro, less than 10 items hoping to exit in the under 10 line quickly, appears sme had the same idea, and I was surprised to see a few Thai's wearing surgery masks, all looking at my N95 as if to say, what the f is that.

 

I've been out and around in BKK the past two days out of necessity, riding around on BTS and walking here and there. In that environment (office worker types and tourists), I'm estimating that the mask wearing population I'm seeing is somewhere between 50 and 75%, just from eyeing everyone I come across. The mask wearers here are definitely outnumbering the others.

 

That said, A LOT of the Thais are only wearing the paper drug store type masks or varying versions of those.

 

[tgw]

1 hour ago, Netease said:

And now it begins. I wonder how many passengers he carried or came in contact with before he stopped driving 

where does it say he stopped driving?

[GeorgeCross]

16 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

 

That said, A LOT of the Thais are only wearing the paper drug store type masks or varying versions of those.

 

 

the same ones the doctors and nurses are wearing?

 

is there a difference?

 

Edited January 31, 2020 by GeorgeCross

[GeorgeCross]

i wonder what happens when 19 cases becomes 1900 or 19000

 

surely they all can't fit in that comfy virus centre they are treating them at now?

 

the local government hospitals are gonna be super-spread zones ☠️

 

 

 

[canuckamuck]

surgical mask is the most  logical. More comfortable and therefore you will wear it longer. It is what the doctors and nurses are wearing

 

[FarFlungFalang]

1 hour ago, Golden Triangle said:

How many of you are familiar with the Nursery Rhyme 'Ring A Ring O Roses' ? Look it up ???? 

 

I wonder if there will be a Nursery Rhyme for this little Corona cutie 

 

Round and round the world we go,

Spreading germs and death galore,

 

Feel free to add to it...............................

 

 

 

Reminds me of one of my favourite movies "V for Vendetta".

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

11 minutes ago, GeorgeCross said:

 

the same ones the doctors and nurses are wearing?

 

is there a difference?

 

 

If you look at the images coming out of China, or if you were in a hospital here where the Thais are treating coronavirus patients, you'd see those medical staff wearing N95 type respirator face masks that are airtight --  not the cheap paper drugstore variety.

[faraday]

1 hour ago, Golden Triangle said:

How many of you are familiar with the Nursery Rhyme 'Ring A Ring O Roses' ? Look it up ???? 

 

I wonder if there will be a Nursery Rhyme for this little Corona cutie 

 

Round and round the world we go,

Spreading germs and death galore,

 

Feel free to add to it...............................

 

 

 

There was an excellent play I saw in Stratford over 40 years ago about Eyam, a village in Derbyshire, that took to isolating themselves from Bubonic Plague.

 

Not comparing the two, but it was in the 1600's.

 

And of course, "Ring a Roses" describes Plague symptoms.

[White Christmas13]

They just keep coming

 

 

[khunpa]

13 minutes ago, GeorgeCross said:

i wonder what happens when 19 cases becomes 1900 or 19000

 

surely they all can't fit in that comfy virus centre they are treating them at now?

 

the local government hospitals are gonna be super-spread zones ☠️

 

 

 

Don't worry about that. It is 100% under control and many also say it is just like the Flu. An over-crowded medical system is not a problem. Carry on and go spend some money ????