Explaining the Thai resilience to the virus

[Pravda]

20 minutes ago, mauGR1 said:

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.

 

Tell that to 3 immigration officers who got covid, probably during that petri dish visa extension debacle.

 

What an arrogant OP.

 

 

 

 

[Pravda]

Oh, wait.... I forgot where I am. This is the same crowd that claims you can't get HIV from having sex with a woman.

Edited March 31, 2020 by Pravda

[Caldera]

Thais in general don't strike me as more healthy or resilient than people in my home country. Many Thais I know are prone to over medicating and/or self medicating with what would often be prescription drugs back home (more often than not, antibiotics).

 

I think different lethality rates are mostly due to demographics and the scope of testing. An outbreak in a retirement home is more deadly than an outbreak among young travelers. The more people a country tests, the more asymptomatic and mild cases don't go unreported.

 

[saakura]

16 hours ago, jacob29 said:

Well walking along Jomtien beach today, a Thai guy sitting on the beach was vomiting. I didn't think nausea was a symptom of CV19, but reading about it just now, it is one of the main symptoms . I can't say I've ever seen someone vomiting on the beach, so this is actually pretty alarming. To think there's no police presence to even monitor this kind of thing.

 

The reader might be asking, what am I doing taking a stroll down the beach. Shouldn't I be staying home? I had critical things to attend to, at immigration. Namely standing in a huge queue shoulder to shoulder, to get a 7 day extension.

So you think that the police should be monitoring beaches, roads, parks and every other possible place where drunks or sick persons may be vomitting?

[Brunolem]

11 minutes ago, Caldera said:

Thais in general don't strike me as more healthy or resilient than people in my home country. 

 

I think different lethality rates are mostly due to demographics and the scope of testing. 

Thailand has a population similar in size to those of Italy, Spain or France.

 

As of today, Thailand has 10 deaths related to the virus, while the countries above each have thousands, and add many hundreds per day.

 

And Thailand was probably infected long before Western Europe.

 

Testing or not testing has nothing to do with these numbers, which can't also be explained by a superior Thai healthcare system.

 

So what is left is the people themselves and their environment...

[Logosone]

 

1 minute ago, saakura said:

So you think that the police should be monitoring beaches, roads, parks and every other possible place where drunks or sick persons may be vomitting?

Like this.

 

British bobbies are loving it. People are being chased by police for going for a walk:

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8169827/Neil-Basu-warns-police-against-overzealous-enforcing-coronavirus-lockdown.html

 

[diks]

16 hours ago, jacob29 said:

Well walking along Jomtien beach today, a Thai guy sitting on the beach was vomiting. I didn't think nausea was a symptom of CV19, but reading about it just now, it is one of the main symptoms . I can't say I've ever seen someone vomiting on the beach, so this is actually pretty alarming. To think there's no police presence to even monitor this kind of thing.

 

The reader might be asking, what am I doing taking a stroll down the beach. Shouldn't I be staying home? I had critical things to attend to, at immigration. Namely standing in a huge queue shoulder to shoulder, to get a 7 day extension.

Be careful what you wish for. The pandemic is already being used all over the world to limit democratic rights and is making the world more autocratic.

[James26]

It's not a matter of resilience. The issue is testing. Thailand has one of the lowest testing rates per capita. They are only seeing the tip of the iceberg. They have no idea how big the iceberg is. This applies to many countries including Japan and the USA.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10217496646104999&set=a.3484510308434&type=3&theater&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic&notif_id=1585585298625648

[Rancid]

A few things seem to determine the mortality rate, age and existing problems of the population plus perhaps a warmer climate. As the virus has been around for a few months now it isn't unreasonable to assume that many more have had it than supposed, it's just that the majority have few or no symptoms. Australia also has a very low death rates, it started in summer, now into early Autumn.

If this a virus that is going to recirculate soon or next year then prior exposure is still the best immunity. Works better than vaccines.

The doom and gloom is being perpetuated by the media, however there are quite a few experts that don't agree with how lethal its being painted. Time will tell I suppose.

[JungleBiker]

15 hours ago, tomster said:

We also still don't see Covid deaths listed alongside deaths of for viral pneumonia (VP) per country, to give them context. I understand that a high viral load of Covid could kill you in a few different ways, but most do check out with VP present so it's kinda borderline crazy to shut the World economy down without releasing these figures.

 

For example:

 

https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/5351640/pneumonia-deadly-infection-flu-trigger/

 

2018 saw 30,000 in the UK die of VP in that year. Where are we now with total deaths from VP in the UK? Why are these figures not being made available as a matter of utmost emergency?

 

So many basic questions remain unanswered, it's like nobody knows what they are doing and just shut the economy down on a whim based on one set of figures from a team  from Imperial Collage London that now looks pretty shaky, to put it mildly.

 

 

Here are some interesting stats from Europe that show total deaths for the past 4 years. https://www.euromomo.eu/index.html

 

 

 

 

[Accidental Tourist]

If Thais are really resilience only the future will show...at the end of the pandemic.

• Fact is there are no stronger or weaker viruses version of Convid 19
• Fact is the hot or cold climate makes NO difference
• Fact is that now during the "Hot Season"the cases are climbing
• Fact is that for sure not all cases are reported
• Fact is as long the test has to be paid for by the to tested person on a rate of 3000 to 6000 THB (in some places even more), it is mostly NOT affordable by the majority of the Thai citizen led alone migrant workers from surrounding country's

[SinCityGr8One]

First, by drinking Lao Khao. Second, Thai resistance to many maladies is from the fact of no food safety. Open air markets with food products uncovered and purchased through the years basically has increased their bodies resistance, me thinks. IMHO 

[Brunolem]

37 minutes ago, Accidental Tourist said:

If Thais are really resilience only the future will show...at the end of the pandemic.

• Fact is there are no stronger or weaker viruses version of Convid 19
• Fact is the hot or cold climate makes NO difference
• Fact is that now during the "Hot Season"the cases are climbing
• Fact is that for sure not all cases are reported
• Fact is as long the test has to be paid for by the to tested person on a rate of 3000 to 6000 THB (in some places even more), it is mostly NOT affordable by the majority of the Thai citizen led alone migrant workers from surrounding country's

Strange how difficult it is to understand that testing and the overall number of cases do NOT matter when talking about resilience...

 

What matters is how the infected populations COPE with the virus.

 

Assuming that 70% of the world population is infected, what differentiates countries and regional populations from each other is the number of fatalities they each suffer...never mind the number of tests!

 

If Italy and Thailand are 70% infected (we will never know the real total, in any country), and Italy ends up with, say, 10,000 deaths while Thailand ends up with, say, 100 deaths, it would seem that, for a number of reasons (the purpose of this thread), the Thai population is more resilient than the Italian population.

Edited March 31, 2020 by Brunolem

[NoshowJones]

20 hours ago, Yinn said:

I think mask help a lot.

 

China, South Korea, Taiwan, HongKong most people wear mask.

Now it less.

 

 

Italy, Spain, UK, US, France most people not wear mask. Refuse.

Now have the most. 

I have never read anywhere where an actual doctor said that wearing a mask protects you from getting coronavirus or prevents you from spreading germs to others, anyway, why should I want to cover up my handsome face?????

[JungleBiker]

1 hour ago, Pravda said:

Oh, wait.... I forgot where I am. This is the same crowd that claims you can't get HIV from having sex with a woman.

You can't if the woman is not HIV positive or if you don't exchange bodily fluids. 

[brianbbb]

the truth

[Kalasin Jo]

On 3/30/2020 at 1:29 PM, 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!

Quite so. The Thai clinical way is paved with pills. They are also very fond of giving an injection if you don't feel so good. Of what? Dunno, but I felt heaps better the one time I got this!

[jacob29]

2 hours ago, saakura said:

So you think that the police should be monitoring beaches, roads, parks and every other possible place where drunks or sick persons may be vomitting?

Not specifically that, more generally discouraging people from congregating in places that would usually be busy, but you're right I didn't communicate that properly. The beach was quite busy with groups sitting together, this guy was in a group of four.

[jacob29]

1 hour ago, Accidental Tourist said:

• Fact is the hot or cold climate makes NO difference

There is a statistically significant difference (I can try to dig up the paper for it), but it's not enough to mean they can't take the threat seriously. It will still get out of control if they let it, just at a reduced rate.

[Brunolem]

21 minutes ago, Kalasin Jo said:

Quite so. The Thai clinical way is paved with pills. They are also very fond of giving an injection if you don't feel so good. Of what? Dunno, but I felt heaps better the one time I got this!

Try to get painkillers anywhere in Thailand...

[mfd101]

3 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Has anyone mention The Wai?

 

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

And what do you think the Japanese do?

[mfd101]

An article from The Times in today's Australian says that analysis of the Wuhan experience shows the following pre-existing risk factors for contracting a SERIOUS dose of coronavirus requiring hospitalization. They are IN ORDER: high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, lung problems, overweight (BMI 30+), being male (ie lower antiviral immune responses). 

 

In most countries in which we are interested 'age' appears as a factor, but that's mostly because many people (but not all) collect one or more of these risk factors as they get older. Which implies that age itself is not a risk factor. It's the underlying ill health that's the problem.

 

The principal & fascinating exception - but which rather proves the point - is the 'exceptional nation', Usofa, where 40% of those hospitalized to date have been aged 20-54. I guess Usofan life expectancy - lower than any other 'Western' country - is not so surprising after all ...

Edited March 31, 2020 by mfd101

[sirineou]

On 3/30/2020 at 2:11 AM, Brunolem said:

Many reasons have been offered in order to explain the big difference in lethality from the virus, between the West and the so-called developing countries.

 

It could be that there are different strains of the virus...

 

It could be the heat slowing the propagation...

 

But there is a more simple explanation:

 

The populations of the developing countries are more resilient than the Western populations because their organisms have not been weakened by decades of over medication!

 

What do you think?

It has to do with infant mortality rate. It is now 7.8 per thousand where in 1960 it was 101.3 per thousand  .  More than 10% died which means that back in 1964 the weak were weeded out and  only the strong survived. The infant mortality rate was even higher in the 1950 

 Someone born back then, would be 60 years old and have a strong constitution, at least as far as disease resistance is concerned. This is true for most emerging countries.

 

 

 

https://knoema.com/atlas/Thailand/Infant-mortality-rate

[thurien]

On 3/30/2020 at 2:05 PM, Brunolem said:

But are you representative of the average Thai citizen? 

 

the "average Thai citizen" esp. up-country hasn't seen a doctor for ages, because 

a) she/he wants to save money  

b) she/he knows better

so they buy all their medical supplies otc and administer to/by themselves (sometimes asking relatives or a priest for proper application...)

 

 

 

 

Edited March 31, 2020 by thurien

[Brunolem]

4 minutes ago, thurien said:

 

so they buy all their medical supplies otc and administer to/by themselves (sometimes asking a priest for proper application...

 

 

 

 

... or for the last rites... 

[Brunolem]

14 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

They are IN ORDER: high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, lung problems, overweight (BMI 30+), being male (ie lower antiviral immune responses). 

 

The principal & fascinating exception is the 'exceptional nation', Usofa, where 40% of those hospitalized to date have been aged 20-54. I guess Usofan life expectancy - lower than any other 'Western' country - is not so surprising after all ...

That is because in the US of A, they are obese when they reach kindergarten age, and start suffering the associated ailments when they enter high school... 

[wwest5829]

On 3/30/2020 at 1:29 PM, 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!

Or, at least question, the premise ....

[fgmr]

On 3/30/2020 at 1:29 PM, 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!

But, presumably you are not native to or have generations of built in immunity, unless you are a survivor of generations of expatriates who have survived in Asia.

 

The medical profession here is just following practice adopted in the West.

[CGW]

21 hours ago, Logosone said:

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

If you have had a flu jab, your resistance to Coronavirus is decreased significantly, according to many articles.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3404712/

 

[Muzzique]

On 3/30/2020 at 8:11 AM, Brunolem said:

Many reasons have been offered in order to explain the big difference in lethality from the virus, between the West and the so-called developing countries.

 

It could be that there are different strains of the virus...

 

It could be the heat slowing the propagation...

 

But there is a more simple explanation:

 

Yes..

 

In Thailand 2+2 = 0.004