Why are Thailands numbers low? Its the mask!s

[Logosone]

  On 4/23/2020 at 12:37 PM, sirineou said:

The fact remains that humid, hot climate is a mitigating factor, but there could be another factor or combination of factors.  that could negate it. 

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Not necessarily, MERS was a coronavirus too, and it absolutely thrived in Saudi Arabia which is very hot.

 

The theory that hot weather killls SARS Cov2 has no real evidence.

[bodga]

  On 4/22/2020 at 5:37 PM, Bonobojt said:

I believe

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What you believe is  irrelevant, you need  facts.

[bodga]

  On 4/22/2020 at 9:02 PM, sirineou said:

It is a combination of a number of components that serve to reduce the transmission rate

 First Thailand and many developing nations had a very high infant mortality rate, fifty years ago in thailand the week did not survive. so consequently we have a more robust older population. 

 Second  Thais do not engage in physical contact as much as the western world, No bear hugs, kissing on the cheeks when meeting, and  hand shakes.

  and thirdly as the OP and others mentioned covering the face. Not only do they wear face masks as a reaction to the virus, but in many regions they cover the face for cultural and work  reasons. How often have we seen the below in Thailand? Thailand's version of PPE.

Then throw in the hot humid weather the decreases the time of suspension of the breathing aerosol, and........

 

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Despite  all that they still have a lower  mortality rate than most western countries.

[NCC1701A]

  On 4/22/2020 at 5:37 PM, Bonobojt said:

the masks are key 

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Bonobojt where have you been? i thought you were dead.  

  On 4/22/2020 at 5:37 PM, Bonobojt said:

The Thais had it right all along,

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yes. there are many reasons.  

[chessman]

Interesting 2019 study from John Hopkins University, about global health security, how prepared a country is for this kind of disaster. Thailand rank 6th in the world, highest in Asia. Take it with a large pinch of salt (Thailand ranks higher than Germany and look who rank 1st and 2nd!!) but it suggests that Thailand is not flying blind in this kind of situation

 

 

https://www.ghsindex.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2019-Global-Health-Security-Index.pdf

[Logosone]

  On 4/23/2020 at 1:14 PM, chessman said:

 Take it with a large pinch of salt (Thailand ranks higher than Germany and look who rank 1st and 2nd!!) but it suggests that Thailand is not flying blind in this kind of situation

 

 

https://www.ghsindex.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2019-Global-Health-Security-Index.pdf

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Probably true, Germany was hardly prepared at all. Even though our people at the RKI foresaw this would happen nothing was done.

[KaputtAlreadyNa]

In Germany,  it is compulsory to wear face mask on  Public Transport,  even though at the beginning they too said wearing a face mask doesn't help. If one thinks logically and honesty,  the face mask does help and prevent,  if not,  the front liners would not have to wear it. That's my personal opinion. 

Warmest 

 

[Sunderland]

  On 4/23/2020 at 8:03 AM, hydraides said:

-Masks

-Very high temperatures + humidity + UV levels

-Soap and temperature checks in nearly every public shop

- Obedient, responsible and respectful citizens (mostly)

 

A combination of those things

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Agree with all those
+ unwillingness to test beyond a few contacts
+ the shame of reporting high numbers/ pride of reporting low numbers
+ very tough criteria to get tested without throwing silly money at a hospital

[Sunderland]

  On 4/23/2020 at 1:14 PM, chessman said:

Interesting 2019 study from John Hopkins University, about global health security, how prepared a country is for this kind of disaster. Thailand rank 6th in the world, highest in Asia. Take it with a large pinch of salt (Thailand ranks higher than Germany and look who rank 1st and 2nd!!) but it suggests that Thailand is not flying blind in this kind of situation

 

 

https://www.ghsindex.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2019-Global-Health-Security-Index.pdf

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Their research looks like it was conducted last minute by someone who arrived home from a night of clubbing and had to throw some countries names into the missing gaps. What a load of rubbish!

[thaibeachlovers]

  On 4/22/2020 at 5:52 PM, timendres said:

I was discussing this topic with a friend in the States. I mentioned that I thought that masks were, to some unknown degree, beneficial in stopping the spread of the Wuhan virus. Interestingly enough, because of the air quality in Bangkok, many Thais were already wearing masks before the Wuhan arrived, and I wonder how much impact that had on the early spread of the virus.

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The masks most Thais wear are useless for preventing anything external, IMO. Any benefit is psychological. The only reason I'd wear one is if I had a virus of some sort, like a cold, and didn't wish to spread it to others.

 

Where I live ( not in LOS ) when I go to the supermarket on my weekly lockdown trips, hardly anyone is wearing a mask, and after 3 weeks ( when any infected would have shown up ) there are ZERO infected cases in my town.

[thaibeachlovers]

  On 4/23/2020 at 1:20 PM, KaputtAlreadyNa said:

In Germany,  it is compulsory to wear face mask on  Public Transport,  even though at the beginning they too said wearing a face mask doesn't help. If one thinks logically and honesty,  the face mask does help and prevent,  if not,  the front liners would not have to wear it. That's my personal opinion. 

Warmest 

 

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if not,  the front liners would not have to wear it.

 

Speaking as one that used to be a "front liner" in theatre, the reason we used them was to protect the patients from us.

In places like A and E the danger to staff is from infected persons spitting, coughing and sneezing etc, which is something that should not be experienced in public, as any infected persons should be isolated and not going out at all.

If the authorities mandate wearing them, or if it makes one feel better by all means wear one. I carry one in my pocket just in case, but I have no illusions it would protect me from much of anything.

[sirineou]

  On 4/23/2020 at 2:32 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

 The only reason I'd wear one is if I had a virus of some sort, like a cold, and didn't wish to spread it to others.

 

 

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Kudos to you for being considerate, I wish more people were like you. IMO if it does not cost anything but could have some benefits , why not do it? How hard is it to put on a mask.

 And then there is the added benefit of me not having to look at you all, but I guess the benefit to society is mitigated  by you not having your days brightened  by my lovely smiling face. but I guess it's a sacrifice we all have to make in the name of safety.   

[thaibeachlovers]

  On 4/23/2020 at 2:48 PM, sirineou said:

Kudos to you for being considerate, I wish more people were like you. IMO if it does not cost anything but could have some benefits , why not do it? How hard is it to put on a mask.

 And then there is the added benefit of me not having to look at you all, but I guess the benefit to society is mitigated  by you not having your days brightened  by my lovely smiling face. but I guess it's a sacrifice we all have to make in the name of safety.   

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Where is the sarcasm alert? BTW, you are insulting almost every person in town.

 

I don't wear one because the price of one is $10, and they only last about 1/2 hour if that. I dug a dust mask up that I carry around just in case.

[sirineou]

  On 4/23/2020 at 2:54 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

  On 4/23/2020 at 2:48 PM, sirineou said:

Kudos to you for being considerate, I wish more people were like you. IMO if it does not cost anything but could have some benefits , why not do it? How hard is it to put on a mask.

 And then there is the added benefit of me not having to look at you all, but I guess the benefit to society is mitigated  by you not having your days brightened  by my lovely smiling face. but I guess it's a sacrifice we all have to make in the name of safety.   

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Where is the sarcasm alert? BTW, you are insulting almost every person in town.

 

I don't wear one because the price of one is $10, and they only last about 1/2 hour if that. I dug a dust mask up that I carry around just in case.

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Right after the word "Safety"

[chessman]

If recent research is correct then a lot of people are asymptotic. Many people probably have the virus but don’t know it. If that is true then wearing a mask is a good idea, because it gives (some) protection to the people around you. 

[Brightly]

I’ve been thinking about the “low numbers” as well.  It can’t be solely attributed to masks-especially since masks are often poor quality/ineffective and are used and reused forever.  Look at all the folks wearing frayed surgical masks on the street.

 

A Thai friend told me that she’d read an expose stating that some C-19 deaths are being classified as “lung infections” and other vague diagnoses, and I can see that as being a possibility.

 

Heat and UV aren’t the viral deterrents that the world hoped they’d be; however, humidity is a big foe of the virus.  But even  with climate considerations and under/misreporting, it seems like we’re dodging a bullet (for now).

 

I’m still scratching my head over our “low numbers.”  I’m kinda wondering if some of it is blind luck.

[thaibeachlovers]

  On 4/23/2020 at 2:56 PM, sirineou said:

Right after the word "Safety"

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Just says "tongue" when I hover the curser over it.

[ajarntingtong]

  On 4/22/2020 at 5:46 PM, Mitkof Island said:

The reason is simple as with every country in the world. No enough tests. The numbers are more likely in the hundreds of thousands.

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Really? If you contract this virus, within around 10 days you will have great difficulty breathing and be in hospital where you will certainly be tested. As at 21 April, 44 of the 77 provinces (57%) had not had any new cases in the last 14 days and can be considered essentialy C-virus free.

[thaibeachlovers]

  On 4/23/2020 at 12:54 PM, Logosone said:

Not necessarily, MERS was a coronavirus too, and it absolutely thrived in Saudi Arabia which is very hot.

 

The theory that hot weather killls SARS Cov2 has no real evidence.

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Saudi has dry hot, not humid hot.

[seancbk]

These numbers are out of date but it shows how Hong Kong with almost the same population had 100 times fewer cases and 1700 times fewer deaths.

Masks.

[lamyai3]

  On 4/23/2020 at 12:09 PM, KhaoYai said:

How do you explain the sudden resurgence in Singapore then?

 

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The majority are clusters from foreign migrant workers confined to dormitories. Almost hopeless conditions to try and maintain physical distancing. Numbers have also increased in Singapore recently as testing has been ramped up, which hasn't happened elsewhere in the region. 

[thaibeachlovers]

  On 4/23/2020 at 2:57 PM, chessman said:

If recent research is correct then a lot of people are asymptotic. Many people probably have the virus but don’t know it. If that is true then wearing a mask is a good idea, because it gives (some) protection to the people around you. 

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Think about it. The sort of masks people usually wear direct exhaled breath out the sides, TOWARDS the people sitting next to you. They don't kill viruses.

[sirineou]

  On 4/23/2020 at 3:02 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

Just says "tongue" when I hover the curser over it.

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It is the "tongue in Cheek"  emoji. which I was being kind in using, because I am a spectacularly attractive person, Don't hate me because I am beautiful. 

[thaibeachlovers]

  On 4/23/2020 at 3:06 PM, seancbk said:

These numbers are out of date but it shows how Hong Kong with almost the same population had 100 times fewer cases and 1700 times fewer deaths.

Masks.

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Just a wild guess, but I expect most people ( and especially the elderly ) in Hong Kong are not eating unhealthy western food that causes obesity, heart disease, diabetes, respiratory disease etc.

[sezze]

  On 4/23/2020 at 12:54 PM, Logosone said:

Not necessarily, MERS was a coronavirus too, and it absolutely thrived in Saudi Arabia which is very hot.

 

The theory that hot weather killls SARS Cov2 has no real evidence.

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  On 4/23/2020 at 3:04 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

Saudi has dry hot, not humid hot.

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Not everywhere in Thailand it is the same weather . Claiming it has something to do with weather is not proven and isn't correct imho . Testing and noting the cases is 1 part , other part might be food related or basic genetics .

[ajarntingtong]

  On 4/23/2020 at 2:40 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

if not,  the front liners would not have to wear it.

I carry one in my pocket just in case, but I have no illusions it would protect me from much of anything.

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You are of course 100% right. It is not to protect the wearer, but to mitigate transmission by sneezes and coughing by the wearer. I live in a relatively small village (pop. say 1000), and I wear one because it makes those around me feel better. Had to laugh a couple of days ago though when I saw a neighbour wearing one to work in his market garden. I was the nearest person 60 metres away, and the chances of another appearing on the scene - zilch.

[thaibeachlovers]

  On 4/23/2020 at 3:19 PM, sezze said:

 

Not everywhere in Thailand it is the same weather . Claiming it has something to do with weather is not proven and isn't correct imho . Testing and noting the cases is 1 part , other part might be food related or basic genetics .

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I'm pickin' the food. Given that Corona usually kills the elderly, IMO Thai elders still eat more healthy food that the western rubbish we farangs eat. Certainly did in my wife's village. Oldies were not obese.

[thaibeachlovers]

  On 4/23/2020 at 3:26 PM, ajarntingtong said:

You are of course 100% right. It is not to protect the wearer, but to mitigate transmission by sneezes and coughing by the wearer. I live in a relatively small village (pop. say 1000), and I wear one because it makes those around me feel better. Had to laugh a couple of days ago though when I saw a neighbour wearing one to work in his market garden. I was the nearest person 60 metres away, and the chances of another appearing on the scene - zilch.

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He may have been wearing one for the reason they wore them before- air pollution.

[chessman]

  On 4/23/2020 at 3:08 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

Think about it. The sort of masks people usually wear direct exhaled breath out the sides, TOWARDS the people sitting next to you. They don't kill viruses.

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They may stop some of the droplets. Even if it is only 20% that will make a difference.

[DavisH]

  On 4/23/2020 at 3:26 PM, ajarntingtong said:

You are of course 100% right. It is not to protect the wearer, but to mitigate transmission by sneezes and coughing by the wearer. I live in a relatively small village (pop. say 1000), and I wear one because it makes those around me feel better. Had to laugh a couple of days ago though when I saw a neighbour wearing one to work in his market garden. I was the nearest person 60 metres away, and the chances of another appearing on the scene - zilch.

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A guy jogs around my village every afternoon wearing a mask and a face shield. Bit of overkill really, as there are few people around. Better to be overly cautious I guess. IF asymptomatic transmission is important, then widespread mask wearing should be somewhat effective in reducing transmission. The virus can be transmitted 2 days before symptoms show in presymptomatic transmitters. Mask wearing really didn't and hasn't taken off in the US and Europe. That didn't help their cause at all.