Thais urged not to let their guard down despite lack of new Covid-19 cases

[webfact]

Thais urged not to let their guard down despite lack of new Covid-19 cases

By The Nation

 

 

The Public Health Ministry has screened 80 per cent of people who are at risk of contracting Covid-19, but all tests came out negative.

 

Dr Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai, director-general of the Disease Control Department, said the ministry was monitoring all at-risk persons in every province to curb the spread of the contagion.

 

The at-risk group includes medical personnel, delivery persons, public transport officials, jail officials, inmates, postmen, migrant workers and those who work in public venues.

 

These people will be tested randomly using a pool sample method and Reverse Transcription PCR (RT-PCR) will be used to examine phlegm samples.

 

About 100,000 people are expected to be screened and 80 per cent have passed the test. Though some showed genetic materials of Covid-19, they were recovered patients and cannot spread the virus.

 

Suwannachai said the at-risk group should all be tested within June adding that the three factors that helped control the spread of Covid-19 were keeping imports of the virus low, hunting down the infected and increasing hygiene discipline among people.

 

However, just screening cannot confirm that Thailand is free from Covid-19, because asymptomatic people are still around so preventive measures are still required.

 

After the fourth round of lifting measures, Thais may have gone back to life as usual, but they must continue wearing face masks, cleaning hands and observing social-distancing measures in order to end the disease in Thailand.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30389875

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-06-19

 

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[Creasy]

Listen up little children. Do as your betters command you and not a word of dissent. OK.

[tribalfusion001]

No local cases, so why the need for all of the measures.

[samsensam]

After the fourth round of lifting measures, Thais may have gone back to life as usual, but they must continue wearing face masks, cleaning hands and observing social-distancing measures in order to end the disease in Thailand

 

but it wont be 'life as usual' because, quite sensibly, virus prevention and protection measures will still be in place...

[Curt1591]

I still see the locals hanging together passing the bottle around ! 

[ezzra]

59 minutes ago, Creasy said:

Listen up little children. Do as your betters command you and not a word of dissent. OK.

Tongue in cheek comment for the fun of it are ok, however see China and Australia and other countries who thought they have the virus under control only to flare up again big time...

[mr mr]

17 minutes ago, ezzra said:

1 hour ago, Creasy said:

Listen up little children. Do as your betters command you and not a word of dissent. OK.

Tongue in cheek comment for the fun of it are ok, however see China and Australia and other countries who thought they have the virus under control only to flare up again big time...

heaven forbid thailand has another days worth of car accident deaths eh ?

[JCP108]

2 hours ago, tribalfusion001 said:

No local cases, so why the need for all of the measures.

Is there any local testing going on?

[Bkk Brian]

"About 100,000 people are expected to be screened and 80 per cent have passed the test. Though some showed genetic materials of Covid-19, they were recovered patients and cannot spread the virus."

 

Would be useful to get some data on this, some showed genetic materials of Covid-19. How many?

 

 

[bkk6060]

25 minutes ago, JCP108 said:

Is there any local testing going on?

Haven't you been keeping up on the news?

[Hayduke]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

However, just screening cannot confirm that Thailand is free from Covid-19, because asymptomatic people are still around so preventive measures are still required.

 

Therefore the number of police checkpoints must immediately be increased....to further prevent spread of the Virus and insure public health.

 

 

[Yinn]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The Public Health Ministry has screened 80 per cent of people who are at risk of contracting Covid-19, but all tests came out negative.

 

But the negative posts on TVF will never end. 

 

Febuary -Thailand deserves covid deaths because welcome Chinese tourism 

 

March- Thailand will have problem because dirty and stupid. Wearing mask is stupid. Refuse social distance.

 

April- Thailand have many deaths they hiding the dead bodys. Refuse wear mask.

 

May- Thailand do not do any test, so no case. Refuse register or sign in at shop for tracing. 

 

June- But, but, but... “What about motorbike accident!”

 

Thailand the FIRST country test covid (outside China). 

 

 

 

Annoy me many TVF member “cheer” for Thailand to have covid problem. But you live in Thailand. Like you want to proof yourself “right, and thailand wrong”. You hate that. More than 100 days. Everyday lie about test, complain follow the “stupid” rule. Thai people is stupid for follow rule.

 

one post yesterday “I'd liked to have seen how the health system held up if it was 10's of thousands infected and thousands dying?”

And get “likes”. 

I like that it not happen.

 

Here the photo again of “Thailand not do tests”. 

 

And the signs everywhere “Stay home, stop infection spread, for your nation” 

Thailand work together, help each other to win covid19.

 

Tomorrow, next week, next month, TVF member will be complain and criticize. Everyday. Sure. Boring.

 

 

 

 

[yuyiinthesky]

6 minutes ago, Yinn said:

Everyday. Sure. Boring.

A good description of your posts ????

[rkidlad]

Well, social distancing hasn’t really been a thing here. And now I’m noticing more people not wearing face masks. 
 

People forget very quickly. Especially when they’re eager to get back to normal. 

[rkidlad]

7 minutes ago, Yinn said:

 

But the negative posts on TVF will never end. 

 

Febuary -Thailand deserves covid deaths because welcome Chinese tourism 

 

March- Thailand will have problem because dirty and stupid. Wearing mask is stupid. Refuse social distance.

 

April- Thailand have many deaths they hiding the dead bodys. Refuse wear mask.

 

May- Thailand do not do any test, so no case. Refuse register or sign in at shop for tracing. 

 

June- But, but, but... “What about motorbike accident!”

 

Thailand the FIRST country test covid (outside China). 

 

 

 

Annoy me many TVF member “cheer” for Thailand to have covid problem. But you live in Thailand. Like you want to proof yourself “right, and thailand wrong”. You hate that. More than 100 days. Everyday lie about test, complain follow the “stupid” rule. Thai people is stupid for follow rule.

 

one post yesterday “I'd liked to have seen how the health system held up if it was 10's of thousands infected and thousands dying?”

And get “likes”. 

I like that it not happen.

 

Here the photo again of “Thailand not do tests”. 

 

And the signs everywhere “Stay home, stop infection spread, for your nation” 

Thailand work together, help each other to win covid19.

 

Tomorrow, next week, next month, TVF member will be complain and criticize. Everyday. Sure. Boring.

 

 

 

 

If you want people to take you seriously, maybe tone it down a lot. Fewer words and less vitriol. 
 

Practise what you preach. 

[yuyiinthesky]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

However, just screening cannot confirm that Thailand is free from Covid-19, because asymptomatic people are still around so preventive measures are still required.

Is Dr Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai, director-general of the Disease Control Department, really saying that asymptotic people are negative in the SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests?

[yuyiinthesky]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

About 100,000 people are expected to be screened and 80 per cent have passed the test. Though some showed genetic materials of Covid-19, they were recovered patients and cannot spread the virus.

So 80% had a negative test and 20% positive? That would be 20000 infected cases. Something seems to have gotten messed up in that story.

[SkyFax]

12 minutes ago, yuyiinthesky said:

So 80% had a negative test and 20% positive? That would be 20000 infected cases. Something seems to have gotten messed up in that story.

Yes -- I believe a better wording in the OP would have been:

 

About 100,000 people are expected to be screened. 80 per cent have already passed the test and 20% have yet to be tested.

[petedk]

Now we know why there are so many negative tests.

 

They should take the swab out of the plastic wrapping. To me it looks as if it still in.

 

 

Ok, before I get too many people attacking me. I realise this is a staged photo. I just fancied a little humour early in the morning.

[brain150]

If anybody would know how a PCR test works then everybody would call the whole story BS !!!

A Pandemic created with false statistics based on a non working test.

 

You just need to put it in the news and everybody will fall for it. So true.

[connda]

Translated:
"You must remain extremely fearful until Thailand develops a "SARS-Cov2 vaccine" which you must then fearfully beg the government to jab you with.  Then and only then will the Covid-19 crisis end." 

Well, until the next pandemic... Really, this has been so much fun we'll surely have to do it again, and again. 

[NoshowJones]

7 hours ago, tribalfusion001 said:

No local cases, so why the need for all of the measures.

Control, control, and more control.

[NoshowJones]

4 hours ago, Hayduke said:

 

Therefore the number of police checkpoints must immediately be increased....to further prevent spread of the Virus and insure public health.

 

 

late night early morning curfews, ban alcohol, 14 days curfew if you travel in to another province. must not go on the beach, social distancing reduced to 1 mtr. Come on Thailand, waken up. 

Edited June 19, 2020 by possum1931

[poskat]

"However, just screening cannot confirm that Thailand is free from Covid-19, because asymptomatic people are still around so preventive measures are still required."

 

using this as the baseline concept, the preventive measures can never be ended

the most disturbing part is that these "experts" dont seem to take the actual data of number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths into account when making these 'but what if.." type of decisions.

 

a situation involving covid that is 4 times worse would still result in approximately 200 deaths.

 

balancing this fact with the real-life difficulties placed on the 65 million person population by their preventive measures is what is needed now... not more what if based decisions.

[Tropposurfer]

Went from haad Surin to Patong then to Rawai this morning and the cafe I spent 2 hours or so there had half a dozen falangs not wearing masks (not wearing outside of eating times too). All Thai staff wearing masks. 

I mentioned this to the manager and we had a chat for a few minutes about it, I said how I love going there. I admitted honestly to feeling some fear and unsafe. I'm still processing this response to see if I'm overreacting and whether it's unfounded and ungrounded.

 

[Anton9]

28 minutes ago, Tropposurfer said:

Went from haad Surin to Patong then to Rawai this morning and the cafe I spent 2 hours or so there had half a dozen falangs not wearing masks (not wearing outside of eating times too). All Thai staff wearing masks. 

I mentioned this to the manager and we had a chat for a few minutes about it, I said how I love going there. I admitted honestly to feeling some fear and unsafe. I'm still processing this response to see if I'm overreacting and whether it's unfounded and ungrounded.

 

You're feeling fear and unsafe about what exactly?A dozen farangs not wearing a mask in a 70 million people country without any new covid case?

0.18% death rate pandemic.

I really think many people need something to worry about in their life

Edited June 19, 2020 by Anton9

[NightSky]

12 hours ago, tribalfusion001 said:

No local cases, so why the need for all of the measures.

[DrTuner]

Pool sampling. Why do I remember reading it significantly increases the amount of false negatives..

[DrTuner]

Quote

 Though some showed genetic materials of Covid-19, they were recovered patients and cannot spread the virus.

This is interesting. How long do the remnants of the virus stay? Together with the antibody tests ("too expensive" at 300-400b/test) they could indicate the epidemic swept over Thailand late last year/early this year without much fanfare. If they bothered to do them, but it might well be they already know from the elevated death count that there was a hidden epidemic and hence won't bother.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-53073046

 

 

Note that the 2,400 is just for March-May. It seems to have been going on at the same excess rate since at least January. It would make the count something like 5k in 2020 + last year. Not sure what the IFR is, 1%? That'd mean half a million infections. Likely more and most before March.

Edited June 19, 2020 by DrTuner

[DrTuner]

17 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Pool sampling. Why do I remember reading it significantly increases the amount of false negatives..

Might be memory failing:

https://healthcare-in-europe.com/en/news/corona-pool-testing-increases-worldwide-capacities-many-times-over.html

 

The pool size will be a factor for sure. If they test in 20k batches the sample is so diluted it won't be valid. But then they'd only have to do 5 PCR tests for the 100k target. As usual, crucial information is missing.

Edited June 19, 2020 by DrTuner