South Korean woman tests positive for coronavirus after Thailand visit

 

FILE PHOTO: Test tube with Corona virus name label is seen in this illustration taken on January 29, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo

 

A South Korean woman has tested positive for coronavirus after visiting Thailand, South Korean officials said on Tuesday, the first foreign tourist reported to have been infected after a visit to the southeast Asian nation.

 

The 42-year-old, identified only as Patient 16, flew back to South Korea on Jan. 19 after traveling in Thailand, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said in a statement.

 

Treated since developing chills and other symptoms from Jan. 25, the woman did not improve until Sunday, the KCDC added in a statement, and was confirmed positive on Tuesday.

 

The statement did not explicitly rule out a visit to China by the patient, and KCDC Director Jeong Eun-kyeong declined to comment further.

 

Tanarak Plipat, deputy director-general of the Thai Department of Disease Control, said the woman could have contracted the virus in Thailand.

 

"It's possible because the virus is already spreading domestically in Thailand," Tanarak said.

 

Thailand has reported 19 cases of coronavirus, among the highest number of infections outside of China. It confirmed the first case of human-to-human transmission of the virus inside the country on Friday, when a taxi driver tested positive.

 

(Reporting by Sangmi Cha in Seoul and Panarat Thepgumpanat in Bangkok; Writing by Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Jane Wardell)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-02-04

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Thailand now a sub hub?

I think people should be made aware of her movements 

 

authorities in Thailand should be retracing exactly what she did when and where

It just needs a few more like this, and a few Chinese going home in body bags to really put the exclamation mark on "Tourism is Dead"

 

Thailand, you have a window to do something meaningful and be a leader...because right now, you aren't even a follower.

 

Weak.

11 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

 

Bye bye, tourism.

From the OP:  The statement did not explicitly rule out a visit to China, however.

18 minutes ago, webfact said:

The statement did not explicitly rule out a visit to China by the patient, and KCDC Director Jeong Eun-kyeong declined to comment further.

Shirely a quick check of her passport would clarify this.Why leave in the ambiguity?

1 minute ago, smedly said:

I think people should be made aware of her movements 

 

authorities in Thailand should be retracing exactly what she did when and where

Yeah that was 2 weeks ago lol. So it`s close to impossible, even if there was a government which take that serious. So forget it. It just shows me, that there is a real risk (at least in BKK). The government may think that the people are stupid, but it`s an easy statistical approach. Thousand of tourists from Wuhan have landed in January, before the city was quarantined. Just 1-2 infected amongst those is enough the spread that stuff. 

The TFV folks here for whatever reason decided to not post the full version of the Reuters report on this story, nor even a web link to the full version... Or maybe Reuters subsequently added the additional Thai content/comments.

 

Here's a link to the full version that includes comments from the Thai health authorities:

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-southkorea-thailand/south-korean-woman-tests-positive-for-coronavirus-after-thailand-visit-idUSKBN1ZY0HC

 

Here's the remaining part that followed the part posted in the OP:

 

Quote

 

Tanarak Plipat, deputy director-general of the Thai Department of Disease Control, said the woman could have contracted the virus in Thailand.

 

“It’s possible because the virus is already spreading domestically in Thailand,” Tanarak said.
 

Thailand has reported 19 cases of coronavirus, among the highest number of infections outside of China. It confirmed the first case of human-to-human transmission of the virus inside the country on Friday, when a taxi driver tested positive.

 

 

Quote

“It’s possible because the virus is already spreading domestically in Thailand,” Tanarak said.

 

Really???  I thought everything was 100% under control!  

I was thinking how quickly things would turn bad if it got into the schools here or anywhere.I think the media reports will have a few days of lag before the reality of what is actually occurring hits the community. "it takes a worried man to sing a worried song".

Just now, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Really???  I thought everything was 100% under control!  

It is. They have the fake reported numbers 100% under control.

2 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Really???  I thought everything was 100% under control!  

Oups she probably said too much inadvertently. 

9 minutes ago, SkyFax said:

From the OP:  The statement did not explicitly rule out a visit to China, however.

Matters not. Reuters already put the headline out and that's what people will read. Expect it to go viral.

1 minute ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Really???  I thought everything was 100% under control!  

Well it was until this bloody virus decided that he was full of it and did it's own thing,he should send this bloody virus for attitude adjustment.

1 minute ago, FarFlungFalang said:

Well it was until this bloody virus decided that he was full of it and did it's own thing,he should send this bloody virus for attitude adjustment.

Very obviously not a Thai virus. A Thai virus would do what it's told to do.

3 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Matters not. Reuters already put the headline out and that's what people will read. Expect it to go viral.

That along with the "Bangkok Most at Risk for Spread" headline is what people will remember.

4 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

Oups she probably said too much inadvertently. 

A round of attitude adjustment and damage control is needed. Call Xinhua and let them handle it through their lackey Thai media outlets.

7 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Matters not. Reuters already put the headline out and that's what people will read. Expect it to go viral.

 

It's a Reuters report, so it's already going far and wide on news providers' websites all around the world.

 

Where in Thailand did she go?

In looking at some Korea news sources just now, I see that the South Korean government also as of today/Tuesday has enacted an entry ban on anyone who's been to Wuhan or Hubei province in the prior 14 days.

 

29 minutes ago, webfact said:

"It's possible because the virus is already spreading domestically in Thailand," Tanarak said.

Personally I 'm not to worried about contracting the virus but if the administration are trying to show how clever they are it's doesn't seem to be working.Bit like trying to catch smoke with you're bare hands and saying you've got it all.

5 minutes ago, bender92 said:

Where in Thailand did she go?

Just going through the airport is a gauntlet already.

Meanwhile, the WHO director general once again pops up generally opposing China entry bans by other countries.

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-who/who-chief-says-widespread-travel-bans-not-needed-to-beat-china-virus-idUSKBN1ZX1H3

 

Quote

WHO chief says widespread travel bans not needed to beat China virus
 

GENEVA (Reuters) - World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday there was no need for measures that “unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade” in trying to halt the spread of a coronavirus that has killed 361 people in China.
 

“We call on all countries to implement decisions that are evidence-based and consistent,” Tedros told the WHO executive board, reiterating his message from last week when he declared an international emergency.

...

China’s delegate took the floor at the WHO Executive Board and denounced measures by “some countries” that have denied entry to people holding passports issued in Hubei province - at the center of the outbreak - and to deny visas and cancel flights.

 

 

Thanks for the advice...  Thanks, but NO thanks!!!

 

4 minutes ago, bender92 said:

Where in Thailand did she go?

Home?Oh you mean how many taxis/busses/tuk tuks she caught?Where did she eat what movie theatres she visited or how many school kids she came in contact with?That sort of thing? does it really matter?Do you really believe there's anywhere on this planet that you can go to avoid infection?

would you trust a man called tedross adhanayom ghebreyesus?

2 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Meanwhile, the WHO director general once again pops up generally opposing China entry bans by other countries.

Time to change the DG.

It has to get worse before it gets better.

30 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

Shirely a quick check of her passport would clarify this.Why leave in the ambiguity?

I would have though that was obvious but such largesse is frowned on here.

 

Sounds like flicks.

1 minute ago, FarFlungFalang said:

Home?Oh you mean how many taxis/busses/tuk tuks she caught?Where did she eat what movie theatres she visited or how many school kids she came in contact with?That sort of thing? does it really matter?Do you really believe there's anywhere on this planet that you can go to avoid infection?

Those caves that they made a film about recently seem pretty safe ???? 

Expect every country that put quarantine measures in effect to China to now add Thailand to the list of countries disallowed for travel. Looks as if the Thai government just signed their own death warrants with respect to tourism. It is now going to be Chinese and Thai entry bans.