How have Thailand and Cambodia kept Covid cases so low?

[ThaiFelix]

7 hours ago, bodga said:

Which  offers  almost zero  protection

And there lies the secret........its all about show.

[Jeffr2]

21 minutes ago, Snacks said:

Thailand has 7 international airports. The USA has 149. Pretty easy to shut down your country when it’s as easy as controlling incoming passengers in only 7 locations. Does anyone think the most diverse economy on the planet was ever going to completely shut down 149 airports?... incidentally suicides are up 25% in Thailand this year.  ????

True, but we also had a government here who didn't lie about the virus, refuse to wear masks and bash scientists.  IMHO, these were the biggest problems in the US.  Poor leadership.

[hlj]

To start off with people need to realize the size of Thailand and not compare Thailand to countries much larger than Thailand. There are no way the figures would be close to being correct. 

[Jeffr2]

1 hour ago, stretch5163 said:

80 % getting sick doesnt neccesarily mean they all go to the hospital mild conditions dont warrent going to the hospital so thats why  hospitals arent overloaded maybe you need to revise your figures.  People will self medicate as they think its the flu or a bad cold even just a sore throat...i mean seriously if you had a sore throat would you think oh my ive got covid and have to go to the hospital ?

Agreed!  But the other member said 86% were asymptomatic.  And that's not true.  I know several who got the virus and never knew it.  Sadly, one is now suffering a bit with loss of taste, hair loss, etc.  Months after he thinks he got it.  He's been tested and he had the virus at some point.

[from the home of CC]

9 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'.

lol, sounds like the game plan of those countries who are mired in this pox, thank Buddha those morons aren't controlling this country..

[DavisH]

9 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'.

Another know-it-all farang who doesn't know a damn thing. 

[DefaultName]

I admit to being sceptical about the low figures.

 

But.

 

I'm married to a Thai, who seems to be related to half of Thailand, and knows the rest by name.  ????  I'm hearing NO reports of the virus in the community.  In the UK, I know of 4, plus one fatality.

[Thingamabob]

Warm climate helps and numbers, while genuinely low, may be somewhat understated.

[Bim Smith]

8 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.

True and our local temples would be doing overtime and they have been really quite these few month. I live next to one and trust me you know when a funeral is taking place 

[Darksidedude]

10 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'.

other countrys should follow suit

[EricTh]

What I notice in Thailand is that most people have the decency to wear mask. That is the most important reason besides other measures.

 

In western countries, most people don't like to wear mask.

[AlfonsV]

6 hours ago, koolkarl said:

I don't know about Cambodia but Thailand is definitely not publishing accurate numbers. As per an article by

Bloomberg, dated Nov. 24/20, Thailand ranked # 15 in the world as the worst place to be for covid. New Zealand and

Japan ranked the # 1 and 2 safest places.  Even Canada and Germany were safer places than Thailand. 

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-resilience-ranking/

When I see the Bloomberg's figures I cant follow there / your statement

[Alidiver]

8 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.

People have to pay for Covid test and hospital so it goes unreported. 

As for the numbers;

1. In UK the  vast majority of deaths are in their 80's in Thailand the average life span is 79.

2. Road deaths would make Covid deaths look like noise which wouldn't get noticed. 

I do believe that Thailand has not been hit as bad as other countries, maybe because they have built up immunity from H1N1, bird flu, SARs and all the other pesky deseases eminating from China. 

[skippybangkok]

 

10 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'.

 

I think we have a Farang Thai Quanon base. 

 

I feel very safe here, and they have done a great job. Give credit where its due. 

[Jeffr2]

1 hour ago, DefaultName said:

I admit to being sceptical about the low figures.

 

But.

 

I'm married to a Thai, who seems to be related to half of Thailand, and knows the rest by name.  ????  I'm hearing NO reports of the virus in the community.  In the UK, I know of 4, plus one fatality.

Why skeptical? No reports of the virus in the community, no hospitals overflowing. I don't get it.  Thailand admits to under reporting.  Just like most other nations.

 

So why are you skeptical?

[AlfonsV]

"When I see the Bloomberg's figures I cant follow their / your statement"
Sorry for typo!
Perhaps I misunderstand Bloomberg's statistic, I just see Thailand immediately following Germany ranking 14. Something wrong?

[Cake Monster]

9 hours ago, bodga said:

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

There are Hundreds, if not Thousands of Illegal Border crossings made every single day into Thailand.

The Porous Borders have been leaking for the last 500 Years or so, with illicit goods such as Drugs being Transported into the Country on a huge scale.

Nothing has been said, as a good beating from a Rifle Butt, or a Bullet in the Knee Cap sends fear spreading among the Local Villagers that live near the Borders.

The Golden Triangle is now more prevalent Today than its ever been.

 

[BernieOnTour]

Well, one of the reasons, why Thailand managed Covid quite well, was for sure a greater awareness stemming from the SARS experience in SE Asia and a faster reaction.

 

For example, Bangkok Hospital published already on January 11th, 2020 a summary about Coronaviruses, listing symptoms and possible side effects/complications !

 

The relatively low number of Thai laboratories (in the beginning) being able to perform rtPCR-tests might have been of advantage - allowing to make sure, that they adhered rule based, science based, good laboratory practice. In Thailand, they sticked with the rule, that for a positive result  3 gene segments of SARS-Cov2 have to identified and the cT-value should run to a maximum of 30. 

 

In contrary to that some western countries let even veterinarian laboratories make the test, ramped up in too short time many unexperienced laboratories, did not standardize the test kits, allowed only 1 gene segment as significant for a positive result and allowed cT-values to get as high as 45.

That resulted in huge numbers of positive tests. And - you have a far higher number of false-positives and people who aren’t infectious because you also find dead virus particles already killed by your immune system. 

As a consequence, you cannot see the forest anymore, because it is hidden by too many trees 555

 

Contact tracing and subsequent quarantine was in Thailand far more effective, because they could concentrate on the really dangerous cases.

 

... just my 10 pence ...

 

[Jake72]

Minimal testing and perhaps the warmer climate helps. I don't think the masks, lockdowns and social distancing is having much effect other than a false sense of safety.

 

If you've been in Thailand since the outbreak started, have you had a cold during this time? I know I have, several actually, so if I can get a cold, then I can just as easily get covid.

 

[Raphus]

Thailand is only delaying the inevitable and will become a country like Australia and New Zealand that gets the virus late. However, most countries health systems know how to treat the virus pretty well. So if the health systems learn, they will deal with the virus like most European countries and mitigate deaths. As ventilAtors just give a guaranteed death sentence. Pressure bubbles help more and better.

[DefaultName]

21 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

Why skeptical? No reports of the virus in the community, no hospitals overflowing. I don't get it.  Thailand admits to under reporting.  Just like most other nations.

 

So why are you skeptical?

 

 

Just on principal really.  Never trust The Man.  ????

Edited December 17, 2020 by DefaultName

[paulikens]

9 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.

doesn't mean the numbers aren't manipulated just cuz the hospitals aren't full. if they had 50000 cases in a country of 70 mill over nearly a year, that wouldn't lead to hospitals being full.     

[Jeffr2]

14 minutes ago, Jake72 said:

Minimal testing and perhaps the warmer climate helps. I don't think the masks, lockdowns and social distancing is having much effect other than a false sense of safety.

 

If you've been in Thailand since the outbreak started, have you had a cold during this time? I know I have, several actually, so if I can get a cold, then I can just as easily get covid.

 

Luckily, science doesn't agree with you.  Mask, targeted lockdowns, and social distancing works.

 

Please, don't confuse the flu with CV19. 

[Jeffr2]

Just now, paulikens said:

doesn't mean the numbers aren't manipulated just cuz the hospitals aren't full. if they had 50000 cases in a country of 70 mill over nearly a year, that wouldn't lead to hospitals being full.     

Too funny.  You must not know much about Thai hospitals.  Provencial ones are almost always full.  Something like this would overwhelm the health care system here.

[Jake72]

30 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

Luckily, science doesn't agree with you.  Mask, targeted lockdowns, and social distancing works.

 

Please, don't confuse the flu with CV19. 

 

Show me the science. I haven't seen any peer reviewed published studies confirming that masks, lockdowns and social distancing make any difference.

 

And please explain the difference in a flu virus/cold spreading and the covid virus spreading. Surely if you are not protected from the common cold, then you are also not protected from the covid virus.

[Artisi]

12 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'.

Of course you can substantiate these claims, can't you?

A bit like the comment about only those dead at the scene are counted, yes initially that's true, but the end count for statistic includes the deaths after the event. 

[lapamita]

5 hours ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

 It is indeed interesting to compare between buddhist countries and christian countries in dealing

with this virus.i

i think cant say religious hv some to do with it

 

whats about race and ethnik

 

white get blacks get hispanics get

 

missing out ethnik chinese,.nowhere here about,,.

 

yes sure the virus origin is the market,for political correctness 555 for those belive

 

 

but i have a question specially to US citizen!!!

i searching long time a sratistik about covid cases in USA or even only NY

where can see how many of each ethnik (white black chin hispanics) get covid in percentage of ethnik or only the number without comparsion

i know this data is aviable but where??

 

in case number is more or less equal it would help china get out of speculation that somthing is wrong  with the virus.

but if number not equal the goverment would not release them..bcs very useable data for us for further negotiation with china behind closed doors

 

[Flying Saucage]

Thailands low Covid numbers are based on luck, lies and low numbers of testing.

 

The lucky part is related to its climate, the social behaviour and a possible genetic predisposition of the people, as published in Nature some weeks ago.

 

The main point is the climate, though, in combination with the density of the population. In Europe the pandemic was well under control during summer time, while the cases are exploding now during winter. This is a clear proof of the impact of the climate, and Thailand luckily doesn't have this ugly cold and wet weather of the winter on the Northern hemisphere. It is exactly this cold an wet climate which enhances the lifetime of the virus-containing aerosoles in the air, which stay infectious for a far longer time then in hot weather.

 

To those who interpose that also India and the Philippines are affected severely by Covid despite having a hot climate as well: The density of the population especially in the slums there is higher, meaning that even a shorter resting time of the aerosoles in the air is enough to infect bigger numbers of people. Especially under the conditions of a lockdown when people are forced to stay indoors with many others.

 

 

Edited December 17, 2020 by Flying Saucage

[Antiparovian]

11 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.

Correct.

 

[MRJOHNNY]

9 hours ago, StevieAus said:

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.

Think you will find the U.K. have tested well over half of the population already, approx. 40 million plus tests completed to date, so the possibility of doing the same in Thailand whose population is about 3 million more than the U.K. is not beyond reality.