How have Thailand and Cambodia kept Covid cases so low?

Rebecca Ratcliffe - South-east Asia correspondent

 

Despite proximity to China, fatalities in Thailand stand at 60, while Cambodia has officially recorded zero

 

A dancer wearing a face shield to protect against coronavirus performs at a temple in Bangkok, Thailand. Photograph: Diego Azubel/EPA

 

When the coronavirus first began to spread rapidly in the Chinese city of Wuhan, Thailand appeared especially vulnerable. It was the first country outside China to report a case of Covid-19, when, on 13 January, a 61-year-old woman from Wuhan was confirmed to have tested positive in Bangkok. Thailand was in its peak tourist season, welcoming travellers from around the world. A major outbreak seemed almost inevitable.

 

Yet, 11 months later, like many of its south-east Asian neighbours, Thailand has so far avoided the worst of the virus. As of 15 December, Thailand has recorded 4,246 infections since the start of the year – just over a fifth of the cases recorded on Monday alone in the UK. Fatalities stand at 60.

 

Prof Anucha Apisarnthanarak, chief of the infectious diseases division at Thammasat University, said the country’s success was down to clear communication by health experts, a willingness to allow scientists to lead the response and an effective lockdown, which was followed by the public.

 

Full story: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/16/thailand-cambodia-covid-19-cases-deaths-low

 

 

-- © Copyright The Guardian 2020-12-17

 

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Don't test the wider population, can't report positives.

 

No autopsies performed on the elderly who die, can't report positives.

 

Report people who die from respiratory illness as having died from viral pneumonia.

 

While it might seem as Thailand has done a good job of managing covid the figures which are reported are grossly understated (same as deaths on roads, only report people who are dead at the scene). This is a function of all authoritarian 'governments'.

10 minutes ago, lujanit said:

Don't test the wider population, can't report positives.

 

No autopsies performed on the elderly who die, can't report positives.

 

Report people who die from respiratory illness as having died from viral pneumonia.

 

While it might seem as Thailand has done a good job of managing covid the figures which are reported are grossly understated (same as deaths on roads, only report people who are dead at the scene). This is a function of all authoritarian 'governments'.

 

As far has keeping the numbers down being authoritarian, I would say the West's more into big numbers for that very reason. It has allowed government officials to arbitrarily shut down businesses, and "legitimize" more control over their citizens. 

Very simple,

extensive consumption of Stinky Fish, Chilly peppers and Durian,. No self respecting virus would have anything to do with them, 

Mysterious land where things, people disappear even a virus has little chance other than be found at alarming rates in ASQ next to a cash register ????

1 hour ago, webfact said:

A dancer wearing a face shield to protect against coronavirus performs at a temple in Bangkok, Thailand.

Which  offers  almost zero  protection

With its  extremely porous borders and the convenient timing of new  cases at a  time when its  most needed  to control student  uprisings .

Those  borders  have been open all the time yet nothing reported until very recently, all the locals  know those  illegal crossings are   going on and any reporting them  ends in charges  brought by the govt as can bee  seen with the hospital  guy reporting the still open border situation

1 hour ago, sirineou said:

Very simple,

extensive consumption of Stinky Fish, Chilly peppers and Durian,. No self respecting virus would have anything to do with them, 

Some truth in there somewhere !

1 hour ago, lujanit said:

Don't test the wider population, can't report positives.

 

No autopsies performed on the elderly who die, can't report positives.

 

Report people who die from respiratory illness as having died from viral pneumonia.

 

While it might seem as Thailand has done a good job of managing covid the figures which are reported are grossly understated (same as deaths on roads, only report people who are dead at the scene). This is a function of all authoritarian 'governments'.

Every country, even ones who test, are under reporting CV19 numbers.

 

If the virus was raging here, you'd know it.  Hospitals would be full, temporary morgues would be setup, etc.  P.S. That's not happening.  So it's got nothing to do with testing.  And nothing to do with under reporting.

 

Try again.

Here's a great case study. 

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/29/asia/taiwan-covid-19-intl-hnk/index.html

Quote

Taiwan just went 200 days without a locally transmitted Covid-19 case. Here's how they did it

 

https://www.dw.com/en/south-koreans-offer-world-lessons-on-how-to-tame-coronavirus/a-55419719
 

Quote

 

South Koreans offer world lessons on how to tame coronavirus

 

Commonsense solutions – such as wearing a mask and practicing social distancing – have kept infection rates and fatalities quite low in South Korea. DW analyzes why the public there has taken the pandemic very seriously.

 

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Despite proximity to China,

I would have thought that this comment just shows how little is understood about Covid.

 

There needs to be many proper Epidemiological studies before we can find any solutions to this conundrum.

 

I think it is fairly clear that any actions taken by the Thai or neighbouring governments have been fortuitous rather than any true science-based approach

17 minutes ago, Histavia said:

I would have thought that this comment just shows how little is understood about Covid.

 

There needs to be many proper Epidemiological studies before we can find any solutions to this conundrum.

 

I think it is fairly clear that any actions taken by the Thai or neighbouring governments have been fortuitous rather than any true science-based approach

Not so sure about that.  We locked down, had curfews, mask mandates, social distancing mandates, borders closed, airports closed, etc.  All put forth by the government. 

 

I think they did a great job and all based on science.  Unlike in other countries who refuted scientific findings (US, Sweden, etc).

A troll post has been reported and removed. 

Most of us, most likely had the virus and don't even know we did. With out proper testing how would anyone know if you just had a mild case.

9 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

Most of us, most likely had the virus and don't even know we did. With out proper testing how would anyone know if you just had a mild case.

If most of us had it, there would be many more in the hospitals.  Not everyone would have just a mild case.

 

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/20-percent-of-people-with-covid-19-are-asymptomatic-but-can-spread-the-disease

20% of Coronavirus Infections Are Asymptomatic but Still Contagious

Emergency Decree.

 

Shutdown.

 

Lockdown.

 

Borders closed.

 

1 Million Village Health volunteers.

 

Handling outbreaks quickly and transparently(Lumpini Boxing, various foreign military attches, Talichek).

 

 

Still near bottom on testing.

 

 

 

Would like to see some random testing at the village level, esp. when regular influenza/pneumonia/lower resp. are identified.

 

Would like to see some excess death figures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

How have Thailand and Cambodia kept Covid cases so low?

That’s a no brainer. By not providing easily available (in all areas), affordable or free testing! No widespread testing = no cases. I would bet everything I own that if they tested sections of the population they would find many people who had previously been infected but were either asymptomatic or very mildly symptomatic and who never bothered to go to a clinic or actually did and was given medicine for a cold or flu. They have already found this to be the case in Spain even though there was and still is widespread testing available to anyone with symptoms. There is no mystery, miracle or fabulous handling of the situation by Thailand and there is nothing to learn from Thailand simply because they did not provide widespread testing. 

3 minutes ago, Dukeleto said:

That’s a no brainer. By not providing easily available (in all areas), affordable or free testing! No widespread testing = no cases. I would bet everything I own that if they tested sections of the population they would find many people who had previously been infected but were either asymptomatic or very mildly symptomatic and who never bothered to go to a clinic or actually did and was given medicine for a cold or flu. They have already found this to be the case in Spain even though there was and still is widespread testing available to anyone with symptoms. There is no mystery, miracle or fabulous handling of the situation by Thailand and there is nothing to learn from Thailand simply because they did not provide widespread testing. 

Look at my link.  Only 20% who have CV19 are asymptomatic.  That means 80% get sick.  Guess what?  That would overload the hospitals here.  Guess what?  They're not overloaded.  Unlike Spain who knew, without testing, they were overwhelmed with CV19.

 

@mtls2005 laid it out nicely above. Nothing to do with testing.  That's a debunked dog whistle for covid deniers.

3 hours ago, lujanit said:

Don't test the wider population, can't report positives.

 

No autopsies performed on the elderly who die, can't report positives.

 

Report people who die from respiratory illness as having died from viral pneumonia.

 

While it might seem as Thailand has done a good job of managing covid the figures which are reported are grossly understated (same as deaths on roads, only report people who are dead at the scene). This is a function of all authoritarian 'governments'.

You forgot hiding bodies in morgues/temples, asking DRs and nurses not to report over stretched hospitals, queues at temples for funerals etc.

 

Or maybe its just not happening here and the Government have generally done a good job with a public who listened (unlike the west where everyone has an opinion)

2 hours ago, bodga said:

Which  offers  almost zero  protection

offers quite alot if they cough in your face, thats why doctors and nurses wear them.

To bad the Virus can not take care of the Thai and Cambodian drivers. 1,400 people die every year on the road.  Who is scary? Virus or Thai drivers??

3 hours ago, lujanit said:

Don't test the wider population, can't report positives.

 

No autopsies performed on the elderly who die, can't report positives.

 

Report people who die from respiratory illness as having died from viral pneumonia.

 

While it might seem as Thailand has done a good job of managing covid the figures which are reported are grossly understated (same as deaths on roads, only report people who are dead at the scene). This is a function of all authoritarian 'governments'.

Being an expert on the control of infectious diseases, perhaps you could enlighten us all on how you  would effectively test around fifty million people ?

Also which other countries have carried out such a program and what it has achieved.

Even in the UK where they have been testing hospital staff on a weekly basis some who tested negative subsequently contracted Covid.

You should be thankful  that Thailand has had such a low number of infections, I certainly am.

4 minutes ago, sungod said:

You forgot hiding bodies in morgues/temples, asking DRs and nurses not to report over stretched hospitals, queues at temples for funerals etc.

 

With a death rate of ~ 7.8 per 1,000, ~500,000 people die here every year. Only about 30% die in a hospital. ~45,000 die from regular influenza/pneumonia/lower resp infections.

 

For the first nine months this year...daily deaths down a bit.

 

Overall, 111,950 deaths were reported within the public-hospital system during the first 267 days of fiscal 2020, which began nine months ago. That amounts to about 419 a day, compared with a daily average of 460 deaths during the year-earlier period, according to the Health Ministry’s database.

 

Without an estimate of total excess deaths, it is challenging to fully quantify the impacts of COVID.

 

The "we're not being overrun with corpses" argument is interesting, but hardly valid, unless you're a casting director for a zombie film.

 

 

 

 

Report cause of death as viral infection without testing for covid-19.

I had no idea there were so many scientists and medical professionals in this forum...

2 hours ago, Jeffr2 said:

Every country, even ones who test, are under reporting CV19 numbers.

 

If the virus was raging here, you'd know it.  Hospitals would be full, temporary morgues would be setup, etc.  P.S. That's not happening.  So it's got nothing to do with testing.  And nothing to do with under reporting.

 

Try again.

All I can tell you is that the virus is supposedly raging here in the UK but still most of our hospitals are empty. The temporary nightingale hospitals that were built have now all been closed after never seeing 1 single patient, despite now being around 4000 a day testing positive ????

 

Fear is the key ????

1 hour ago, Jeffr2 said:

Not so sure about that.  We locked down, had curfews, mask mandates, social distancing mandates, borders closed, airports closed, etc.  All put forth by the government. 

 

I think they did a great job and all based on science.  Unlike in other countries who refuted scientific findings (US, Sweden, etc).

True. And all people DID follow what was necessary. in Europe everyone complains and see what s happening

Happy to live in Thailanď

9 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

I had no idea there were so many scientists and medical professionals in this forum...

There you go then, we can all learn something every day. Is it valid info or just plain old <deleted>. You pay your money and take your choice.

1 hour ago, Jeffr2 said:

If most of us had it, there would be many more in the hospitals.  Not everyone would have just a mild case.

Exactly. I was at Bang Saen hospital yesterday morning and it was very quiet, very much like just after the lockdown. I doubt there were 40 patients waiting, numbers looked a bit bigger but there about a dozen wheelchairs and they have one or two carers. A bit unusual for a hospital that normally does well in excess of a hundred blood tests a day, most of whom are heading to internal medicine.

Hospital is certainly a long way from being "overwhelmed" and wherever all these covid cases are, it is not around here.

 

Western countries put the economy first and are now seeing the consequences, all the testing did little to stop people dying.

1 hour ago, Jeffr2 said:

Look at my link.  Only 20% who have CV19 are asymptomatic.  That means 80% get sick.  Guess what?  That would overload the hospitals here.  Guess what?  They're not overloaded.  Unlike Spain who knew, without testing, they were overwhelmed with CV19.

 

@mtls2005 laid it out nicely above. Nothing to do with testing.  That's a debunked dog whistle for covid deniers.

Facts hmmm

Can't say for other places but 86% are asymptomatic in the UK. And the government admitted that previous numbers had been highly exaggerated. 

 

It would seem that governments can do what they want with this virus.