Netizens pose question: How did UK variant get into Thailand despite emergency decree?

[webfact]

Picture: Sanook

 

Sanook said that people online were posing a vital question.

 

Despite the fact that Thailand has had the emergency decree in place for a year now and there is strict quarantine on arrivals - how did the UK variant come into the country?

 

The emergency decree gives the authorities extraordinary powers yet the country now faces a crisis from the fast spreading SARS - CoV2 variant. 

 

News had come of the presence of the variant in the Thong Lor cluster.

 

Also known as the Kent variant it has been found in around two dozen people who had been at pubs and clubs in the area.

 

Prof Yong Poovorawan of the faculty of medicine at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok,  warned that it could spread 1.7 times faster than previous strains found in Thailand. 

 

Other media quoted him as saying online that it had been found in four members of a British family who arrived in the country from Kent in January.

 

Singer and doctor Oat Samith commented that the Sinovac vaccine being used in Thailand is less effective against this variant. 

 

He called for more choice for the people and a fast rollout.

 

But Sanook pointed out that delivery of vaccinations has been very slow in Thailand compared to many countries.

 

So far only 0.31% of the population of 69 million or 257,484 people had been jabbed with a first dose. 

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-04-08

 

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[RandolphGB]

There have been flights coming and going from the UK for the last year. Pilots, crew, cargo staff, diplomatic staff, repatriated Thais, tourists doing ASQ etc etc . Same as above for people from Europe who will have been in contact with the UK variant. 
 

It’s impossible to stop the virus. No matter how many masks people wear or how many bars are closed. 
 

Thais would realize this if they actually thought about it.  

[sirineou]

2 minutes ago, RandolphGB said:

There have been flights coming and going from the UK for the last year. Pilots, crew, cargo staff, diplomatic staff, repatriated Thais, tourists doing ASQ etc etc . Same as above for people from Europe who will have been in contact with the UK variant. 
 

It’s impossible to stop the virus. No matter how many masks people wear or how many bars are closed. 
 

Thais would realize this if they actually thought about it.  

The plan is not to stop it, but to control it withy in acceptable limits until everyone is vaccinated. 

[brewsterbudgen]

It's just a new strain of the virus that was first identified in the UK, hence the name.  This new strain will develop (and now has developed) anywhere. It doesn't have to be imported from the UK.  

[steve187]

12 minutes ago, RandolphGB said:

There have been flights coming and going from the UK for the last year. Pilots, crew, cargo staff, diplomatic staff, repatriated Thais, tourists doing ASQ etc etc . Same as above for people from Europe who will have been in contact with the UK variant. 
 

It’s impossible to stop the virus. No matter how many masks people wear or how many bars are closed. 
 

Thais would realize this if they actually thought about it.  

so what would be your plan if you were made Prime minister tomorrow

[ThailandRyan]

It walked in with an asymptomatic person who possibly tested negative.  Either that or it was brought in back in January and escaped quarantine.  Who really knows as they have never really been openly testing.

[ThailandRyan]

31 minutes ago, steve187 said:

so what would be your plan if you were made Prime minister tomorrow

Test and test en-mass.  Not the limited testing they have done.

[brewsterbudgen]

3 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

It walked in with an asymptomatic person who possibly tested negative.  Either that or it was brought in back in January and escaped quarantine.  Who really knows as they have never really been openly testing.

It didn't "walk in" with anyone!  It's a strain of Covid that was first noticed in the UK, but can and does develop anywhere.  Viruses mutate and new strains develop - that's why you need a new flu vaccination every year.

[ThailandRyan]

2 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

It didn't "walk in" with anyone!  It's a strain of Covid that was first noticed in the UK, but can and does develop anywhere.  Viruses mutate and new strains develop - that's why you need a new flu vaccination every year.

Do you understand Sarcasm Sir.

[brewsterbudgen]

1 minute ago, ThailandRyan said:

Do you understand Sarcasm Sir.

Yes.  It's the lowest form of wit.  Please try harder!

 

 

[mtls2005]

Natives getting restless.

 

Pitchforks being located, torches at the ready.

 

Time to charge a few of these pesky "netizens" with Sedition, Computer Crimes Act violations.

 

One is not supposed to question one's betters.

 

 

[ThailandRyan]

Just now, brewsterbudgen said:

Yes.  It's the lowest form of wit.  Please try harder!

Just hilarious you are. Would you like nothing but serious answers and no comic relief.  Try again Sir. All variants mutate again and again, but if you never test randomly you will never find it unless someone goes to a hospital for a test because they feel ill, by then it has taken a footing somewhere and you end up playing catch up instead of being ahead of the issue. Wouldn't you agree?

[FarFlungFalang]

40 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

It didn't "walk in" with anyone!  It's a strain of Covid that was first noticed in the UK, but can and does develop anywhere.  Viruses mutate and new strains develop - that's why you need a new flu vaccination every year.

Although they are similar mutations and display similar attributes I thought it was possible to determine where each virus originated through their genetics, so if they say it's the UK strain surely they would have checked to make sure,but what you say is true variants are popping up by the thousands apparently and some are bound to be similar.We've gone into battle with a simple virus let's see who wins.

[Bkk Brian]

43 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Just hilarious you are. Would you like nothing but serious answers and no comic relief.  Try again Sir. All variants mutate again and again, but if you never test randomly you will never find it unless someone goes to a hospital for a test because they feel ill, by then it has taken a footing somewhere and you end up playing catch up instead of being ahead of the issue. Wouldn't you agree?

Healthy satire does not always cut it with some, I guess we just need to accept that, unfortunately. However that should not stop it being used..............

[mikebell]

31 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

We've gone into battle with a simple virus let's see who wins.

In Brazil 4000 DIED yesterday - I'd say the virus is winning there!

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

Test and test en-mass.  Not the limited testing they have done.

 

More testing will simply create more panic, the UK was testing 400,000 people per day, with 4% false positives (estimated by the Lancet) there were possibly 16,000 false positives per day and the UK and many other nations tested itself into a panic. 

 

The true metric is hospitalisations - those with serious symptoms. 

 

Many seem to be in a panicked frenzy regarding Covid-19. I agree that it's serious, those in risk groups need to be protected. What happened in Italy and Spain in early 2020 is frightening, but, what we are not seeing with all these increased cases in Thailand is increased deaths or any reporting of increased hospitalisations. 

 

Maybe we have not yet observed the full impact of the increased cases. 

 

 

 

 

[mtls2005]

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

any reporting of increased hospitalisations. 

 

The majority here, I think it's over 60%, die outside of a medical facility, usually at home.

 

Not everone goes to the hospital.

 

Hospitalization figures are important of course.

 

That the "authorities" here have been quick to build field hospitals tells me that they are at least concerned about potential stress on the health care systems here.

 

 

[pantsonfire]

Mass testing is underway today.  Lots of popup places for free testing.  Queues are very long.  Hospitals are also full for mass testing.  Thai people are currently scared.

[Eibot]

This particular strain has spread out all over the globe. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the dominant version in Myanmar for example. Thailands land borders are not tight at all. Thousands cross daily to do business. The virus could easily be from this. It could also have been flown in. It takes one mistake for it to spread. We all knew it was only a matter of time. 

[Eibot]

3 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

It didn't "walk in" with anyone!  It's a strain of Covid that was first noticed in the UK, but can and does develop anywhere.  Viruses mutate and new strains develop - that's why you need a new flu vaccination every year.

It could have been developed everywhere. But it's very very very unlikely the mutation originated from here. The genetic code of this virus was not found in Thailand before and now it has. This very rare and specific mutation doesn't happen twice at the other side of the world. Therefore they ask how it got into the country. Which could have been thousand different ways.

[Rhacsyn]

Hi

 

Could it not have been brought in from Myanmar? Anyway it is here and needs controlling.

[John Drake]

5 hours ago, RandolphGB said:

There have been flights coming and going from the UK for the last year. Pilots, crew, cargo staff, diplomatic staff, repatriated Thais, tourists doing ASQ etc etc . Same as above for people from Europe who will have been in contact with the UK variant. 

 

Whatever happens, it is interesting to see how this is being associated with the British. Inevitable that Thais are going to blame them the more that they hear "UK variant" used, although I don't know what else to call it.  Might be unfair, but it's clear that it is going to happen. It's one reason the past two days I've gone out of my way to make sure people know I'm an American, not British. Combine this with all the bad news about the British vaccine having problems along with a British variant, and there could be trouble in the works.

[Eibot]

14 minutes ago, John Drake said:

 

Whatever happens, it is interesting to see how this is being associated with the British. Inevitable that Thais are going to blame them the more that they hear "UK variant" used, although I don't know what else to call it.  Might be unfair, but it's clear that it is going to happen. It's one reason the past two days I've gone out of my way to make sure people know I'm an American, not British. Combine this with all the bad news about the British vaccine having problems along with a British variant, and there could be trouble in the works.

Even though the Kent strain is also the dominant version in the States... haha.

 

People are very shortsighted here and I know what you mean. Similar to people blaming the Spanish for the Spanish flu.

[Petey11]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

More testing will simply create more panic, the UK was testing 400,000 people per day, with 4% false positives (estimated by the Lancet) there were possibly 16,000 false positives per day and the UK and many other nations tested itself into a panic. 

 

The true metric is hospitalisations - those with serious symptoms. 

 

Many seem to be in a panicked frenzy regarding Covid-19. I agree that it's serious, those in risk groups need to be protected. What happened in Italy and Spain in early 2020 is frightening, but, what we are not seeing with all these increased cases in Thailand is increased deaths or any reporting of increased hospitalisations. 

 

Maybe we have not yet observed the full impact of the increased cases. 

 

 

 

 

Have to remember by the time you see infected people bad enough to require hospital treatment you can be 3-4 weeks into a wave and deaths 4-6 weeks later. By then it's too late. Testing and finding out the incidence gives you a rough idea of what  likely hospital capacity is going to be needed.

[richard_smith237]

12 minutes ago, Petey11 said:

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

More testing will simply create more panic, the UK was testing 400,000 people per day, with 4% false positives (estimated by the Lancet) there were possibly 16,000 false positives per day and the UK and many other nations tested itself into a panic. 

 

The true metric is hospitalisations - those with serious symptoms. 

 

Many seem to be in a panicked frenzy regarding Covid-19. I agree that it's serious, those in risk groups need to be protected. What happened in Italy and Spain in early 2020 is frightening, but, what we are not seeing with all these increased cases in Thailand is increased deaths or any reporting of increased hospitalisations. 

 

Maybe we have not yet observed the full impact of the increased cases. 

 

 

 

 

Have to remember by the time you see infected people bad enough to require hospital treatment you can be 3-4 weeks into a wave and deaths 4-6 weeks later. By then it's too late. Testing and finding out the incidence gives you a rough idea of what  likely hospital capacity is going to be needed.

 

 

Do you mean... 'Maybe we have not yet observed the full impact of the increased cases’ ??? 

[ThailandRyan]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

More testing will simply create more panic, the UK was testing 400,000 people per day, with 4% false positives (estimated by the Lancet) there were possibly 16,000 false positives per day and the UK and many other nations tested itself into a panic. 

 

The true metric is hospitalisations - those with serious symptoms. 

 

Many seem to be in a panicked frenzy regarding Covid-19. I agree that it's serious, those in risk groups need to be protected. What happened in Italy and Spain in early 2020 is frightening, but, what we are not seeing with all these increased cases in Thailand is increased deaths or any reporting of increased hospitalisations. 

 

Maybe we have not yet observed the full impact of the increased cases. 

 

 

 

 

The problem here Richard is that many do not go to the hospitals for testing as they have no funds and are afraid of being separated from their families and jobs, instead they self medicate and stay at home with family watching over them.  If they would test and allow those who had only minor symptoms to not be hospitalized and ensure they stay isolated until they either test negative or actually need to be hospitalized then that might change things.  The Thais living around the side sois where we live do not believe the government folks and fear being left to die without family being with them, they would rather be sick and cared for by family.

[Aomelia]

33 minutes ago, Eibot said:

Even though the Kent strain is also the dominant version in the States... haha.

 

People are very shortsighted here and I know what you mean. Similar to people blaming the Spanish for the Spanish flu.

It was found between France and Spain research it , Boycott China For Bioweapons 

[Eibot]

10 minutes ago, Aomelia said:

It was found between France and Spain research it , Boycott China For Bioweapons 

What was?

[RichardColeman]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

but, what we are not seeing with all these increased cases in Thailand is increased deaths or any reporting of increased hospitalisations. 

Sorry, but would you put your house up in a bet on this governments statistics ? How many of the 500,000 Thais that died in the past year would have tested positive forcovid ? Even at a rate of 1% false positives on people that died of unrelated covid deaths, that would have shown up about 5000 covid deaths wouldn't it. Does not matter about excess deaths - what matters is covid deaths as we are always being told. Clearly Thailand death figures are bogus.

[ukrules]

They also wondered where this came from in the UK.

 

Looking at the map and locating where Kent is helps to clarify the situation when you combine it with the knowledge that France had a massive and unprecedented surge in COVID infections a couple of months prior to the 'UK Variant' being detected by those scientists in the UK who perform half of the entire worlds viral sequencing.

 

Here's a google maps copy/paste of Kent :