Must Read Thailand to test over 10,000 people after record COVID-19 surge

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Thailand to test over 10,000 people after record COVID-19 surge

 

A healthcare worker takes a nasal swab sample of a child for a COVID-19 test at a migrant community, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Samut Sakhon province, in Thailand, December 20, 2020. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand plans to test more than 10,000 people after a record daily surge in coronavirus cases to over 500, most of which were among migrant workers linked to a shrimp market near the capital, an official said on Sunday.

 

By Wednesday the authorities aim to conduct 10,300 tests in the southwest province of Samut Sakhon, where the outbreak appeared, and such nearby provinces as Samut Songkhram and Nakhon Pathom, Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for Thailand's COVID-19 taskforce, told a news conference.

 

"Active case findings will continue in several provinces, actually across the country," he said.

 

Thailand, the first country outside China to report coronavirus infections, has largely kept the outbreak under control with 4,907 cases and 60 deaths.

 

On Sunday, Thailand confirmed 576 new infections, including 516 migrant worker cases announced locally the day before.

 

The new cases include 19 locally transmitted cases in Bangkok and in Samut Sakhon province, where the 516 infections were also found. All of them were linked to the shrimp market in Samut Sakhon. There were also 41 imported cases.

 

Most of the migrant workers in Samut Sakhon are from Myanmar, which has suffered a far worse outbreak than Thailand, where health authorities credit early action with limiting the spread of the virus.

 

Other Southeast Asian countries, including Singapore and Malaysia, have also reported thousands of cases among migrant workers.

 

The surge in cases in Thailand comes just as it is seeking to revive a tourist industry devastated by the pandemic. On Thursday, it eased restrictions to allow more foreign tourists to return.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-12-20

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

 

[Dmaxdan]

Come on Thailand!  You got Covid-19 under control before, you can do it again! 

[Olivie]

7 minutes ago, GeorgeCross said:

 

yes, so incompetent that we've barely had a local case in 6 months

 

hopefully we can soon have another 6 months of incompetence.

 

 

It's easy to not have cases when you don't test people.

[Virt]

If they want the real numbers from the market outbreak they have to test a lot more than that, and do that each day the next couple of weeks.

 

10,000 is a drop in the ocean. 

[GeorgeCross]

10 minutes ago, Olivie said:

 

It's easy to not have cases when you don't test people.

 

tosh.

 

you dont need to test if you dont have sick people

 

how do you think they found this cluster? reading tea leaves?

 

[RichardColeman]

15 minutes ago, GeorgeCross said:

 

yes, so incompetent that we've barely had a local case in 6 months

 

hopefully we can soon have another 6 months of incompetence.

 

Thailand is currently ranked 166th on the tests per million ! 166th ! Barely more per million than Ethiopia, Uganda, Lesotho and Guinea Bissau. Sorry, but,  I think Thailand is completely incompetent when it comes to testing - their own figures prove it !

 

UK - basically same population - has testing of 711,000 per million more ! 

 

 

[RichardColeman]

8 minutes ago, GeorgeCross said:

you dont need to test if you dont have sick people

Data from University College London showed up to 77% of people with covid had NO symptoms - That is why you test everybody  - not just the sick and the dead !

Edited December 20, 2020 by RichardColeman

[GeorgeCross]

5 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Thailand is currently ranked 166th on the tests per million ! 166th ! Barely more per million than Ethiopia, Uganda, Lesotho and Guinea Bissau. Sorry, but,  I think Thailand is completely incompetent when it comes to testing - their own figures prove it !

 

UK - basically same population - has testing of 711,000 per million more ! 

 

 

the UK as in having 2,000,000+ cases and 67,000 deaths?

 

compared to Thailands 4,000 cases and SIXTY deaths?

 

that UK?

 

yeah Thailand is not testing enough 

 

 

[Big Yuley]

52 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Thailand to test over 10,000 people after record COVID-19 surge

 

A healthcare worker takes a nasal swab sample of a child for a COVID-19 test at a migrant community, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Samut Sakhon province, in Thailand, December 20, 2020. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand plans to test more than 10,000 people after a record daily surge in coronavirus cases to over 500, most of which were among migrant workers linked to a shrimp market near the capital, an official said on Sunday.

 

By Wednesday the authorities aim to conduct 10,300 tests in the southwest province of Samut Sakhon, where the outbreak appeared, and such nearby provinces as Samut Songkhram and Nakhon Pathom, Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for Thailand's COVID-19 taskforce, told a news conference.

 

"Active case findings will continue in several provinces, actually across the country," he said.

 

Thailand, the first country outside China to report coronavirus infections, has largely kept the outbreak under control with 4,907 cases and 60 deaths.

 

On Sunday, Thailand confirmed 576 new infections, including 516 migrant worker cases announced locally the day before.

 

The new cases include 19 locally transmitted cases in Bangkok and in Samut Sakhon province, where the 516 infections were also found. All of them were linked to the shrimp market in Samut Sakhon. There were also 41 imported cases.

 

Most of the migrant workers in Samut Sakhon are from Myanmar, which has suffered a far worse outbreak than Thailand, where health authorities credit early action with limiting the spread of the virus.

 

Other Southeast Asian countries, including Singapore and Malaysia, have also reported thousands of cases among migrant workers.

 

The surge in cases in Thailand comes just as it is seeking to revive a tourist industry devastated by the pandemic. On Thursday, it eased restrictions to allow more foreign tourists to return.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-12-20

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

 

 

WOW. Finally they will start to test people. Shock Horror

[GeorgeCross]

6 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Data from University College London showed up to 77% of people with covid had NO symptoms - That is why you test everybody  - not just the sick and the dead !

 

i would have preferred mandatory quarantine of migrant workers and beefing up border security than chasing chickens mate

 

thats where they've dropped the ball

 

 

[Justgrazing]

55 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

most of which were among migrant workers linked to a shrimp market near the capital,

 

Blimey to the unfamiliar that may come across as a bit of blame gaming .. 

[mr mr]

17 minutes ago, GeorgeCross said:

you dont need to test if you dont have sick people

 

chicken or the egg. 

[Olivie]

20 minutes ago, GeorgeCross said:

 

tosh.

 

you dont need to test if you dont have sick people

 

how do you think they found this cluster? reading tea leaves?

 

 

So you don't know what are asymptomatics ?
But the best strategy is what  Thailand is doing. No test, and for people with symptoms, it just a "pneumonia".

[2 is 1]

40 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

Come on Thailand!  You got Covid-19 under control before, you can do it again! 

Aha you really want lock down and alcohol sell ban! Soon every province lock again. Ok "free" visa guys get extra again.

[rabas]

6 minutes ago, mr mr said:

 

chicken or the egg. 

Chicken shows up at hospital.

"Quick, look for  more eggs!"

 

If no one has symptoms or shows up at hospital there is no need to test the entire population.

[carabaothai]

last week 1,372,992 tests in France 

[mr mr]

3 minutes ago, rabas said:

If no one has symptoms or shows up at hospital there is no need to test the entire population.

 

oooook. so the fact that for decades now, regardless of death, people here are burned and no autopsy is ever done. 

 

got it. no testing for a global pandemic. check. 

[billd766]

28 minutes ago, GeorgeCross said:

 

tosh.

 

you dont need to test if you dont have sick people

 

how do you think they found this cluster? reading tea leaves?

 

They found this cluster ONLY because the lady went to the hospital several days after she felt ill. 3 other members of her family are asymptomatic including her aged mother. Now how did she get Covid?

 

How many asymptomatic people are going around, possibly spreading Covid without knowing it, and have not gone to the hospital for a check up?

[spiekerjozef]

1 hour ago, Olivie said:

 

It's easy to not have cases when you don't test people.

In Europe they think a test will make you immune.

So after testing they go straight on holiday and Christmas shopping to join the crowd and celebrate.

[sezze]

14 minutes ago, billd766 said:

They found this cluster ONLY because the lady went to the hospital several days after she felt ill. 3 other members of her family are asymptomatic including her aged mother. Now how did she get Covid?

 

How many asymptomatic people are going around, possibly spreading Covid without knowing it, and have not gone to the hospital for a check up?

Well , thats always have been the problem so far in the rest of the world . Suddenly people are going to hospital , and you try find the infected and more and more people show up , and hospitals are getting full in no time .

17 minutes ago, mr mr said:

 

oooook. so the fact that for decades now, regardless of death, people here are burned and no autopsy is ever done. 

 

got it. no testing for a global pandemic. check. 

Well yes and no . Like i said before , Thailand has been very lucky so far . The what, where, how , doesnt matter . The fact is that the hospitals were never in problem , telling me they were telling the truth . Nobody cares if you are infected if you not need to go to hospital , stay home for a week and ok . Professional footballers got it now all the time , since they getting tested at least once a week and sometimes everybody ok , and 2 weeks later theres 4-5-6 in a team which are infected , most of the time mild symptoms . Testing is good and fine , but it is very difficult to get all cases , lockdown for everybody and test everybody 2 times within a week and then you might got everybody , but that is not possible ( they doing it in China , together with widespread government control over movement ... ) .

Like i said yesterday , Welcome to the world Thailand . You've been very lucky so far .

[rabas]

23 minutes ago, billd766 said:

They found this cluster ONLY because the lady went to the hospital several days after she felt ill. 3 other members of her family are asymptomatic including her aged mother. Now how did she get Covid?

 

How many asymptomatic people are going around, possibly spreading Covid without knowing it, and have not gone to the hospital for a check up?

 20% of the number of cases who do have symptoms. Where are they?

 

[lovethai123]

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Thailand is currently ranked 166th on the tests per million ! 166th ! Barely more per million than Ethiopia, Uganda, Lesotho and Guinea Bissau. Sorry, but,  I think Thailand is completely incompetent when it comes to testing - their own figures prove it !

 

UK - basically same population - has testing of 711,000 per million more ! 

 

 

totally agree. Dont do mass testing. dont test anyone. keep the numbers low. Looks good .. 

[lovethai123]

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

They found this cluster ONLY because the lady went to the hospital several days after she felt ill. 3 other members of her family are asymptomatic including her aged mother. Now how did she get Covid?

 

How many asymptomatic people are going around, possibly spreading Covid without knowing it, and have not gone to the hospital for a check up?

I remember posting the similar thing before.  The virus spreads fast but many people don't show any symptoms. Why would they go to a hospital to get themselves tested when there are no symptoms? 

 

I think what they did was , kept the test prices high, and tested only the contacts. This way they were able to manage the crisis and keep the numbers low.

 

May be the big daddy told them how to handle the situation. 

 

 

[lovethai123]

1 hour ago, rabas said:

 20% of the number of cases who do have symptoms. Where are they?

 

they are staying at home. i think . i remember talking to a thai girl a few months ago. She and her daughter had fever. Just took paracetamol. They got ok in a some days.

 

 I am not saying they had covid. but If this were my country, a call to a state helpline would ensure a free rt pcr test while isolating at home..

 

but in thailand there was no one to support an out of work pattaya girl. She said hospital is expensive, she does not have money to get tested. The test is expensive. 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2020 by lovethai123

[Nout]

2 hours ago, YetAnother said:

instead of 'plans to test', given incompetence, corruption and lying politicians here, give me 'has tested'

But they haven't tested them yet! So you want them to lie? What is the matter with you?

[Nout]

3 minutes ago, lovethai123 said:

they are staying at home. i think . i remember talking to a thai girl a few months ago. She and her daughter had fever. Just took paracetamol. They got ok in a some days.

 

 I am not saying they had covid. but If this were my country, a call to a state helpline would ensure a free rt pcr test while isolating at home..

 

but in thailand there was no one to support an out of work pattaya girl. She said hospital is expensive, she does not have money to get tested. The test is expensive. 

 

 

There are many avenues to support and they don't all start with hospital in most countries. What country are you from may I ask.

[lovethai123]

10 minutes ago, Nout said:

There are many avenues to support and they don't all start with hospital in most countries. What country are you from may I ask.

In my country it still starts with a phone call. People can get a free (government) or affordable (private clinic) rt pcr testing. 

 

but i was not happy when i heard the plight of this girl and her child. they were burning with fever. they didnt  have enough resources to pay for the exorbidant testing prices. Though they got ok with a paracetamol eventually. but all i am saying is that they should have been tested.

 

The poor and the marginalised are not being taken care of. And that is certainly not the thai tradition. Those in power should understand that the biggest driving factor for the tourists is these girls. They can show us photos of some beaches, mountains, waterfalls but the driving factor has always been the girls. 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2020 by lovethai123

[sweatalot]

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Thailand is currently ranked 166th on the tests per million ! 166th ! Barely more per million than Ethiopia, Uganda, Lesotho and Guinea Bissau. Sorry, but,  I think Thailand is completely incompetent when it comes to testing - their own figures prove it !

 

UK - basically same population - has testing of 711,000 per million more ! 

 

 

I thought of it too. But if they didn't have any cases only because they didn't test then a significantly higher mortality should have been noticed, right? But has anyone noticed?

[sweatalot]

43 minutes ago, lovethai123 said:

think what they did was , kept the test prices high, and tested only the contacts. This way they were able to manage the crisis and keep the numbers low.

which - if so - did not lead to a noticable increase in severe symptoms and deaths

only the numbers of symptomfree infected people would have risen to the sky

[connda]

Thailand finally gets on the testing train. 
"Next stop!  Second wave case spike."  <toot toot> "All aboard!"