Thailand sees a run on hospitals as Covid-19 cases linked to entertainment venues are reported

[webfact]

Parking space turned into a temporary swab area at a Bangkok hospital. (photo by Veena Thoopkrajae)

 

by Veena Thoopkrajae

 

People who visited seven bars and pubs in Bangkok in March have been told to urgently seek coronavirus tests after a new cluster of infections was identified. As a result, all coronavirus test outlets at both public and private hospitals have seen an influx of people worried that they too might have contracted the virus.

 

The Disease Control Department found 40 people working at the entertainment venues had been infected with Covid-19 between March 25-27 and advised patrons of the seven venues to contact health officials. The seven are Krystal Club on Thonglor 25 in Soi Thong Lor; Baan Phahol Café and Bar in the Chatuchak area; Ekkamai Beer House in Ekkamai area; Barbarbar in Soi Thong Lor, Dollar Bangkok, and The Cassette Music Bar and Pub Dirty in the Ekkamai area.

 

Complicating the situation is the fact that the venues are popular with bar-hoppers, meaning that some of the patrons visited more than one of the pubs on the same night. In addition, Pub Dirty shares restrooms and other facilities with other pub/bars and so the number of people requiring a Covid-19 test has continued to grow.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thailand-sees-a-run-on-hospitals-as-covid-19-cases-linked-to-entertainment-venues-are-reported/

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-04-09

 

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[ThailandRyan]

As suspected from messages I received yesterday from not just BNH hospital but friends who had gone to others for regular services.  Good luck and be safe folks. Wonder if when I fly back to BKK today we will be told to isolate at home for 14 days when we land at DMK from Chiang Mai.  We were going to anyway.

[RichardColeman]

That congratulatory pat on the back for low covid cases is beginning to look a might premature now.

[smedly]

sure just lock them foreigners (cheap labour)  into factories weld the doors shut or lock them up at Immigration holding centers 

 

who on this earth would want to go near a hospital right now

 

 

why not offer free travel vouchers to all those wanting to spread out across the country these next couple of weeks - why on earth would you charge people for spreading the virus across the country - that would be counter productive - let them travel for free, lets get that spread going at the fastest possible pace as far and wide as possible 

 

GRRRRRRRRR 

[Daithi85]

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

That congratulatory pat on the back for low covid cases is beginning to look a might premature now.

A good job has been done up until now, I know that  seems to upset a few of the commentators on here,but Thailand has done a much better job than  most  other countries. 

[FarFlungFalang]

24 minutes ago, Daithi85 said:

A good job has been done up until now, I know that  seems to upset a few of the commentators on here,but Thailand has done a much better job than  most  other countries. 

Seems they don't have enough testing capacity to deal with the current outbreak as low as they are they are struggling to keep up which is why the outbreak will fizzle like the other 2 waves they run out of tests and that's the Thai way of successfully dealing with the covid issue.Below is a quote from the linked article.

 

Many pubgoers responded to the call and rushed to get the PCR tests with the result that both public and private hospitals became overloaded. And, of course, when someone tests positive, his/her work colleagues or family members also have to go for a test and thus the demand for RT-PCR tests has exceeded the capacity of the hospitals.

 

 

 

[Bkk Brian]

31 minutes ago, Daithi85 said:

A good job has been done up until now, I know that  seems to upset a few of the commentators on here,but Thailand has done a much better job than  most  other countries. 

Grasping onto how well you think Thailand has done in the past does not resolve the current outbreak that threatens the whole country with a new more infectious strain thats never been dealt with before here.

[phukettrader]

2 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

As suspected from messages I received yesterday from not just BNH hospital but friends who had gone to others for regular services.  Good luck and be safe folks. Wonder if when I fly back to BKK today we will be told to isolate at home for 14 days when we land at DMK from Chiang Mai.  We were going to anyway.

Or you can live your life normally, happy in the knowledge that you have a more than 99% chance of NOT dying from the virus.

[Taco]

This one is gonna be thought to blame on the Burmese

[eeworldwide]

Well - despite all the panic, we're still a far cry from most other countries who are battling thousands of cases a day and tens of thousands of deaths. When we're facing that, then we can all have a jolly good moan.

[Dialemco]

What a shame premature opening entertainment venues and encouraging travel over extended Songkran holidays before vaccination roll out big mistake. Would have been far better for controlled opening International Tourism who would have at least been fully vaccinated and had Covid Free certificates before entering Thailand

[mrmicbkktxl]

1 hour ago, Daithi85 said:

A good job has been done up until now, I know that  seems to upset a few of the commentators on here,but Thailand has done a much better job than  most  other countries. 

Good job about what?The only good thing is the 15 days quarantine everything else sucks big time,no testing,no vaccine for privat hospitals,not enough vaccine,etc.

[ThailandRyan]

4 minutes ago, phukettrader said:

Or you can live your life normally, happy in the knowledge that you have a more than 99% chance of NOT dying from the virus.

So tempt fate is what your saying when I am an at risk individual because of being a diabetic with an auto immune disorder.  Nope I  will just chill at home instead until this blows over.

[ThailandRyan]

3 minutes ago, eeworldwide said:

Well - despite all the panic, we're still a far cry from most other countries who are battling thousands of cases a day and tens of thousands of deaths. When we're facing that, then we can all have a jolly good moan.

The problem here is that with only a few cases the hospitals are already being over run.  

[Bkk Brian]

Just now, eeworldwide said:

Well - despite all the panic, we're still a far cry from most other countries who are battling thousands of cases a day and tens of thousands of deaths. When we're facing that, then we can all have a jolly good moan.

Lets hope that moan is not from a hospital bed. You don't happen to be on the CCSA task force planning committee do you? 

[10baht]

This one is gonna be thought to blame on the Burmese

 

I thought there was a change of plans--- they are blaming Cambodia this time around.

[wensiensheng]

1 hour ago, Daithi85 said:

A good job has been done up until now, I know that  seems to upset a few of the commentators on here,but Thailand has done a much better job than  most  other countries. 

Agreed. The big blot on the copybook is the slow roll out of a vaccine. It’s been available since February but a statistically minute number of people have had it administered.

 

thailand should be moving beyond lockdowns by now, instead it’s stuck in the same phase as a year ago

[wordchild]

47 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

The problem here is that with only a few cases the hospitals are already being over run.  

this is a major issue if the situation continues to deteriorate.

As i understand it, the policy so far (in Thailand)  has been to hospitalize all positive covid cases , whether symptomatic or not. This has probably helped reduce spread in Thailand as it is also a very effective means of quarantining . 

The hospital that carries out the test is obliged to admit the positive cases it finds; consequently many hospitals are already running out of beds. I heard yesterday of one major Bangkok hospital that was refusing to carry out tests because it said it did not have the capacity to admit more (covid) patients. 
I suspect the policy on immediate hospitalization will have to change. The majority of covid sufferers (80 percent plus) should be able to manage just fine outside a hospital setting . Thailand will likely be forced to move to the system followed in other countries where people are only hospitalized if their symptoms become more serious.

Maybe a good solution would be to utilize the spare hotel capacity that is now building again within the state provided and the ASQ system. Positive covid cases, amongst otherwise healthy people,  could be sent to these hotels/facilities  and quarantined there. They would only need to be transferred to a hospital if their symptoms deteriorated.

Obviously the hotels concerned would need to upgrade and make other changes (to protect their staff) if they are going to switch to taking confirmed positive cases as guests; but this should be possible for some at least. This would ease the pressure on the healthcare system and would likely be preferable to army run field hospitals. 

Edited April 9, 2021 by wordchild

[Rocking Robert]

The people going to the hospital to be tested that’s all they make it out like you’re being admitted to the hospital the only being tested they don’t even know if they’re sick or not and if they are positive they still will not admit them to the hospital Probably just tell them to go home and quarantine

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, phukettrader said:

Or you can live your life normally, happy in the knowledge that you have a more than 99% chance of NOT dying from the virus.

Some of the Bangkokians tried that method... appears it didn't work-out to well !!!!

[Rocking Robert]

15 minutes ago, wordchild said:

this is a major issue if the situation continues to deteriorate.

As i understand it, the policy so far (in Thailand)  has been to hospitalize all positive covid cases , whether symptomatic or not. This has probably helped reduce spread in Thailand as it is also a very effective means of quarantining . 

The hospital that carries out the test is obliged to admit the positive cases it finds; consequently many hospitals are already running out of beds. I heard yesterday of one major Bangkok hospital that was refusing to carry out tests because it said it did not have the capacity to admit more (covid) patients. 
I suspect the policy on immediate hospitalization will have to change. The majority of covid sufferers (80 percent plus) should be able to manage just fine outside a hospital setting . Thailand will likely be forced to move to the system followed in other countries where people are only hospitalized if their symptoms become more serious.

Maybe a good solution would be to utilize the spare hotel capacity that is now building again within the state provided and the ASQ system. Positive covid cases, amongst otherwise healthy people,  could be sent to these hotels/facilities  and quarantined there. They would only need to be transferred to a hospital if their symptoms deteriorated.

ASQ Hotels are very expensive 

[ThailandRyan]

5 minutes ago, Rocking Robert said:

The people going to the hospital to be tested that’s all they make it out like you’re being admitted to the hospital the only being tested they don’t even know if they’re sick or not and if they are positive they still will not admit them to the hospital Probably just tell them to go home and quarantine

Dream on, if positive they will be admitted, they will find a spot for them before they transfer them to a field hospital if they can not find a bed for them, as it is Thailand's policy to hospitalize all, even asymptomatic folks.  So try and think outside of the box.  This is a serious event for Bangkok and Thailand and they got caught with their shorts down I am afraid.

[Cadan]

1 hour ago, Bkk Brian said:

Grasping onto how well you think Thailand has done in the past does not resolve the current outbreak that threatens the whole country with a new more infectious strain thats never been dealt with before here.

This whatever st, nd or 3rd wave won’t be easy to stop. Spread too much plus the 3000 people party in Phuket. Can only wish for the best ans that thailand opens up to all available vaccinations earlier 

[nobodysfriend]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

In addition, Pub Dirty shares restrooms and other facilities with other pub/bars and so the number of people requiring a Covid-19 test has continued to grow.

Does using a ' shared restroom ' significantly increases the risk of becoming infected ? So it is more healthy to just p outside ?

I'm not going out without my own private restroom anymore .

Edited April 9, 2021 by nobodysfriend

[Rocking Robert]

3 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Dream on, if positive they will be admitted, they will find a spot for them before they transfer them to a field hospital if they can not find a bed for them, as it is Thailand's policy to hospitalize all, even asymptomatic folks.  So try and think outside of the box.  This is a serious event for Bangkok and Thailand and they got caught with their shorts down I am afraid.

It’s not all that bad

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Pub Dirty shares restrooms and other facilities with other pub/bars and so the number of people requiring a Covid-19 test has continued to grow.

The name seems very apt....

[thailand49]

The math doesn't add up for me?  Venues have been opened for a while the outbreak is being blame on a particular area or venues indirectly that is like pointing the fingers at foreigners? What does that say about the 14 days quarantine?

 

Is there no thought that the origination of the infection might have come from people working these venues causing the infection to their customers. You read some of these reports even higher ups locals are infected I don't think they are visiting these venues mentioned that are now being closed.

 

The spread is just too fast?  to list 40 province so fast it just doesn't add up? In the past they couldn't jump fast enough to blame the dirty farang this time they are tip toeing why?  I think it is time to close the border Myanmar where the problem might be rumor to be coming from? ????????

 

 

[dave moir]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

So tempt fate is what your saying when I am an at risk individual because of being a diabetic with an auto immune disorder.  Nope I  will just chill at home instead until this blows over.

I think you're tempting fate if you have auto immune disorder and you want to vaccinate!????

[todlad]

14 minutes ago, thailand49 said:

The math doesn't add up for me?  Venues have been opened for a while the outbreak is being blame on a particular area or venues indirectly that is like pointing the fingers at foreigners? What does that say about the 14 days quarantine?

 

Is there no thought that the origination of the infection might have come from people working these venues causing the infection to their customers. You read some of these reports even higher ups locals are infected I don't think they are visiting these venues mentioned that are now being closed.

 

The spread is just too fast?  to list 40 province so fast it just doesn't add up? In the past they couldn't jump fast enough to blame the dirty farang this time they are tip toeing why?  I think it is time to close the border Myanmar where the problem might be rumor to be coming from? ????????

 

 

Talk to your significant Thai who will tell you that the Thong Lor, Ekkamai etc cluster is not so much to do with foreigners as Ministers, Actors, golf caddies ... more elite than expat.

[thailand49]

1 minute ago, todlad said:

Talk to your significant Thai who will tell you that the Thong Lor, Ekkamai etc cluster is not so much to do with foreigners as Ministers, Actors, golf caddies ... more elite than expat.

I have a for over a month with my Thai wife and one of our renters who works for the police in Nongprue and reading between the lines of these articles the outbreak has been around for sometime?