Explaining the Thai resilience to the virus

[Isaan sailor]

Consider the facts:  In the USA and other developed countries, they have done, and continue to do, massive amounts of virus testing.  They also enjoy some freedom of the press.

In Thailand, and other less developed countries with strict government controls, you don’t see as much virus testing.

Now whose numbers would you believe?

[animalmagic]

19 hours ago, JaiMaai said:

Given the suitcase full of drugs that I've been given every time I've seen a doctor here, I'll have to disagree!

Is that suitcase full related to the need for the drugs or the need for the commission on lots of prescriptions?

Are the multiple prescriptions based on a full understanding of the problem or a shotgun approach to cure?

 

[Yinn]

4 hours ago, Chazar said:

see youve  stopped  quoting Singapore  now then.......doesnt  fit the bias  eh

And Singapore!

 

South Korea, Singapore and Japan have distributed face masks to residents. Taiwan and Thailand have banned the export of masks to meet soaring local demand.

 

The orbortor come give every the village free masks Saturday. And police stop motorbike if not have yesterday and give free.

 

The US, UK, Italy, Spain, France not distributed to residents. What happen?

 

I not really understand your problem. Wear the mask in public place not difficult.

[Yinn]

28 minutes ago, Isaan sailor said:

Consider the facts:  In the USA and other developed countries, they have done, and continue to do, massive amounts of virus testing.  They also enjoy some freedom of the press.

In Thailand, and other less developed countries with strict government controls, you don’t see as much virus testing.

Now whose numbers would you believe?

Believe McDonald Trump?

[Brunolem]

8 hours ago, losworld said:

Ridiculous post.  There is largely no difference between west and east the only difference is the accuracy of reporting and the number of tests done.  

Facts, rather than bold statements, would be much appreciated...

[mfd101]

There are plenty of websites with stats & charts comparing different countries (different geographically culturally & demographically). And comparing infection rates, death rates, mortality rates, recovery rates etc etc.

 

On just about every measurement Thailand comes out looking like an extreme outlier. Which is on the whole an extremely unlikely outcome.

 

A reasonable person might reasonably conclude that, as usual, Thais and in particular their government have an unusual relationship with reality.

Edited March 31, 2020 by mfd101

[Brunolem]

51 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

In Thailand economic inequality might be considered part of the culture heritage, Thailand one of the highest societal inequality in the world.

Right behind the US

[Chassa]

15 hours ago, Logosone said:

Yes, in this study it says that less than 1% of Thai people get influenza vaccinations.

'Flu vaccinations were free when Yingluck was PM, at least in our village in Isaan. for farang too!

[Logosone]

16 minutes ago, Yinn said:

 

The US, UK, Italy, Spain, France not distributed to residents. What happen?

 

I not really understand your problem. Wear the mask in public

In Germany masks were also not distributed to residents. 

 

Yet Germany has mortality rate less than half of South Korea, less than Japan.

 

Attributing success in fighting the virus to wearing masks is like attributing economic success of South Korea to black hair.

 

What you can't see, the testing, identifying and isolating which Singapore, South Korea and Japan have done are the real causes.

[Logosone]

6 minutes ago, Chassa said:

'Flu vaccinations were free when Yingluck was PM, at least in our village in Isaan. for farang too!

Yes, I don't blame Thais for not using them. I could get free flu shots in Germany, I never used them either because my doctor cautioned they were only useful for  handful of strains, but there were other strains going around.

 

 

[superal]

Copied from Aljazeera   The answer could be the all year sun giving vitamin D

 

Vitamin D 

Vitamin D is often associated with the healthy development of bones, joints and muscles. However, we are learning more about this humble vitamin, and now understand that it is associated with far more than just our skeleton. 

It has been found to adapt our immune responses, and that a deficiency in it can be a trigger in autoimmune conditions and susceptibility to infections.

Vitamin D is primarily made from a reaction of the sun on our skin. During the winter months, when the sun does not often shine through the clouds and is weaker when it does, this can be difficult to achieve. 

[mauGR1]

I think it has been discussed already, but the Thai's apparently good resilience to this virus, it's simply because their immune system, in general, is better than the people living in the so called developed countries.

If this theory is right, then, in Myanmar, for example, the average immune system should be even stronger.

Surely it can be argued what exactly makes one's immune system stronger, but we all have a rough idea of what a healthy lifestyle is.

 

[cornishcarlos]

4 hours ago, Chazar said:

and  compare to Singapore.................most dont wear a  mask and told not necessary......the virus  lives in your body just fine at 37c and Singapore is virtually the same as Thailand with heat BUT what they do  have is great screening/testing and compliance unlike that Thais who couldnt care less in many cases............yesterdays  party nearby, still ongoing

 

Looks like a boring party, nobody there !!!

[Nanaplaza666]

20 hours ago, JaiMaai said:

Given the suitcase full of drugs that I've been given every time I've seen a doctor here, I'll have to disagree!

55555555 bang on 

[cornishcarlos]

45 minutes ago, Yinn said:

South Korea, Singapore and Japan have distributed face masks to residents.

 

I would say about 50% of Singaporeans are wearing masks out in public...

 

Their success is down testing, contact tracing and informing the public on new case details...

Also, all returning residents are now isolated away from family in hotels for 14 days, as the majority of cases in the last couple weeks are imported.

[Nanaplaza666]

20 hours ago, Brunolem said:

But are you representative of the average Thai citizen? 

The same with everybody thais and farang , they have a pill for everything . Even if your shoes are to small and your feet begin to hurt , the doctor will not tell you to buy bigger shoes but he will give you something for the pain . 

[Nanaplaza666]

19 hours ago, Brunolem said:

It cost them only 30 baht, so that's not the reason...

That's what you think , but for a higher price you get the better and stronger medicine, not the chinese or indian knockoffs . 

[DFPhuket]

Having lived for several years in both Singapore and Thailand, one of the main differences is that in Singapore I spent all of my time inside around others in air conditioned places. In Thailand, I spend most of my time outside. 

[Sydebolle]

This topic lacks one important element; the trust in the honest reporting by the authorities. 

I am not implying that they cook the numbers but seeing how all those different government agencies are completely headless in their instructions, statements and notifications I simply dont believe anything they say for the time being. 

Either Thais are indeed a superior race to planet Earth or then just throw out all the numbers. Everywhere these fresh markets are still operational, the bus terminals are beehives, the queues in front of ATM machines scary and construction sites are still manned with none of them keeping the basics of a "social distance" or a mask which both is no realistic on a construction site. 
 

[Logosone]

It is of course possible that both insufficient testing and greater physical resilience are the case.

 

Just saying.

[Pravda]

I suggest that this idiotic thread be locked.

 

Just found out there was a committee meeting yesterday and 1 person in my building has covid.

 

I live Samut Prakan and it is a big building with one of them 30sqm shoe boxes from a major developer.  

 

This stuff must be seriously underreported.

 

 

 

 

[FarFlungFalang]

2 hours ago, Isaan sailor said:

Consider the facts:  In the USA and other developed countries, they have done, and continue to do, massive amounts of virus testing.  They also enjoy some freedom of the press.

In Thailand, and other less developed countries with strict government controls, you don’t see as much virus testing.

Now whose numbers would you believe?

The only numbers I believe in are the ones in Cheech and Chong movies.

Edited March 31, 2020 by FarFlungFalang

[MiNombreEsFicticious]

Remember, if you never get tested, you'll never get Covid-19. People who call their local Thai public hospital when they suspect they have it aren't told to come in for a test. They are to stay away, stay at home, wait and see if things get worse, and good luck.

 

So Thailand does not have many cases of Covid-19, just a lot of people who have it.

[VocalNeal]

Has anyone mention The Wai?

 

Thais don't touch when greeting as opposed to the Italians and possible Spanish?

[mauGR1]

44 minutes ago, Pravda said:

I suggest that this idiotic thread be locked.

 

Just found out there was a committee meeting yesterday and 1 person in my building has covid.

 

I live Samut Prakan and it is a big building with one of them 30sqm shoe boxes from a major developer.  

 

This stuff must be seriously underreported.

 

 

 

 

Very strange logic, one person in your building has the virus, so the thread must be closed.

It's quite likely that lots of cases are not reported, but that isn't the point of this thread.

Actually the OP is spot on, imho.

[Brunolem]

Once again it is not the number of cases that matters, but the number of highly critical cases (respirator assistance) and deaths.

 

It seems highly unlikely that Thailand, and its neighbors, would be able to hide death numbers matching those seen in Western Europe...ten to a hundred times higher.

 

After all, the dead have to be disposed of, and we haven't seen an explosion in funerals in the country...have you?

[mauGR1]

2 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Has anyone mention The Wai?

 

Thais don't touch when greeting as opposed to the Italians and possible Spanish?

That is possibly a factor.

A few days ago, i did a short search about domestic animals being potential carriers of the virus, and apparently they are.

I know for sure that a lot of families in Italy have a cat or a dog living indoors, and i know a few who let their pets on the sofa, some even in their bed !

[Brunolem]

1 hour ago, Sydebolle said:

Either Thais are indeed a superior race to planet Earth or then just throw out all the numbers. Everywhere these fresh markets are still operational, the bus terminals are beehives, the queues in front of ATM machines scary and construction sites are still manned with none of them keeping the basics of a "social distance" or a mask which both is no realistic on a construction site. 
 

But it is not only the Thais...if it was, that would be highly suspicious obviously.

 

Yet, look at the whole ASEAN and numbers are similar...so are they all reporting  lowered numbers...in concert?

[Brunolem]

Just out...127 new cases and 1 death (total 10), with the same hotspots in Greater Bangkok, Chonburi and the Deep South...

 

[diks]

27 minutes ago, MiNombreEsFicticious said:

Remember, if you never get tested, you'll never get Covid-19. People who call their local Thai public hospital when they suspect they have it aren't told to come in for a test. They are to stay away, stay at home, wait and see if things get worse, and good luck.

 

So Thailand does not have many cases of Covid-19, just a lot of people who have it.

That may be a good thing indeed. Hospitals - not only in Thailand - are known to be some of the best places for respiratory disease transmission.