Advice/Law - what to do if you have Covid symptoms?

[CrossBones]

What is the official advice/law in Thailand if you have Covid symptoms?

 

Are you meant to stay home and only go to hospital for testing if its bad?

 

Or get tested immediately?

 

If tested, does it matter where? Say you have good health insurance and would like to avoid being sent by force to a "field hospital"

 

Im OK, just thinking in advance

[TheFishman1]

Very good question this is Thailand so I’m sure it will vary in different areas like everything else TIT

[Henricus]

Go get tested and get treatment and anyway stay out of my Neighborhood  

[PGSan]

2 hours ago, TheFishman1 said:

Very good question this is Thailand so I’m sure it will vary in different areas 

So we need advice by area.  So please can the ‘usual experts’ respond!  Or maybe there is even some accurate, hard information to post?

 

I have a minor sore throat today near Pattaya and so I just realised that I have no idea what will be the best action here this week if it gets worse, or I get other warning symptoms.  

[EvetsKram]

Testing is free for Thais,  test positive & treatment/hospitalisation is also free. Foreigners pay but price varies a lot by location.  It's the only country I know of doing this c#@p

[l4ml4m]

Just don't say it to anyone...

 

 

[DefaultName]

I would only go for a test if I thought I actually needed a hospital.  If I ever think that I might be infected, I can self-quarantine at home without the extra risk and expense of a hospital quarantine. 

 

I made arrangements a while back with a local restaurant/minimart that, if it came to it, I could lodge money with them and they would leave food/water/groceries outside my door - contactless shopping.

[Surelynot]

3 minutes ago, DefaultName said:

I would only go for a test if I thought I actually needed a hospital.  If I ever think that I might be infected, I can self-quarantine at home without the extra risk and expense of a hospital quarantine. 

 

Agree.....that is my plan.

[CrossBones]

6 hours ago, EvetsKram said:

Testing is free for Thais,  test positive & treatment/hospitalisation is also free. Foreigners pay but price varies a lot by location.  It's the only country I know of doing this c#@p

And for foreigners? In danger of being sent to the most important hospital, given treatment you dont need, and charged a million baht in the process?

 

I ask because i think you legally have to go to hospital once tested positive

[CrossBones]

3 hours ago, Surelynot said:

Agree.....that is my plan.

But its also irresponsible because if you have it the gov needs that info for  contact tracing.

 

If you do get tested though you might be stitched up with medical bills as you are forced to a hospital

[CrossBones]

Bangkok post today

The government's policy of hospitalising all those who test positive for Covid-19, even those without symptoms, has prompted concern about capacity in the event of a surge in the number of patients with severe symptoms.

 

this suggests - if you do get tested and are positive you MUST be hospitalised. (no choice)

[ronaldo0]

4 hours ago, CrossBones said:

And for foreigners? In danger of being sent to the most important hospital, given treatment you dont need, and charged a million baht in the process?

 

I ask because i think you legally have to go to hospital once tested positive

In samui the private hospitals are sending people that test positive to the one government one on the island. Seemingly this is because they can’t make much money giving their private rooms to a Covid patient as they could with a person requiring medical care for sickness or bike injuries etc.

[Jingthing]

5 hours ago, CrossBones said:

And for foreigners? In danger of being sent to the most important hospital, given treatment you dont need, and charged a million baht in the process?

 

I ask because i think you legally have to go to hospital once tested positive

Reports are that they will come and get you if you test positive. Chinese style. 

 

The US embassy website.says they have heard of such preventative incarceration costing 100k baht.

 

OK we invited ourselves here and Thailand never promised us a rose garden, but this is ridonculous. 

Edited April 20, 2021 by Jingthing

[Sheryl]

Revised guidance appeared in the newspapers recently. It varies depending on your age, the type of symptom and whether you have had contact with an infected person or been to one of the known hotspots.

 

It does matter where you get tested as you will be hospitalized on the spot if they have beds. Otherwise may be sent to a field hospital or "hospitel".

 

If you are severely ill then go to a hospital, choosing one where you are willing to be hospitalized. 

 

If not so severe (no trouble breathing, able to walk around etc) then if it were me I'd just stay home, keep hydrated, take paracemol for fever, self- isolate and avoid testing sites. But make sure someone knows to keep an eye on you as if it is COVID, condition can change quickly.

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Revised guidance appeared in the newspapers recently. It varies depending on your age, the type of symptom and whether you have had contact with an infected person or been to one of the known hotspots.

 

It does matter where you get tested as you will be hospitalized on the spot if they have beds. Otherwise may be sent to a field hospital or "hospitel".

 

If you are severely ill then go to a hospital, choosing one where you are willing to be hospitalized. 

 

If not so severe (no trouble breathing, able to walk around etc) then if it were me I'd just stay home, keep hydrated, take paracemol for fever, self- isolate and avoid testing sites. But make sure someone knows to keep an eye on you as if it is COVID, condition can change quickly.

Yes. It's very important to stay hydrated. Not sure if you can get Gatorade here but I think coconut water is very good for Electrolytes.

[impulse]

35 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

But make sure someone knows to keep an eye on you as if it is COVID, condition can change quickly.

 

Recently had one friend in Texas go to check on another who was showing symptoms (tested positive) and to bring him some food.  Found cop cars in the driveway when he arrived.  They were picking up our friend's corpse.  His condition went south in a matter of a few hours.

 

Take your symptoms seriously, please.  The victim was an old guy, but that describes a lot of expats in Thailand.

Edited April 20, 2021 by impulse

[tifino]

31 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Yes. It's very important to stay hydrated. Not sure if you can get Gatorade here but I think coconut water is very good for Electrolytes.

 there's also the combination of Black Salt powder (half tspn & coupla tablespns AppleCiderVinegar) in a glass of water. (You can substitute Himalayan pink salt if easier to obtain)   Been having it daily for some time... only takes a week or so to get used to the pungent cooked eggshell essence of the BSP 

[shdmn]

4 minutes ago, tifino said:

 there's also the combination of Black Salt powder (half tspn & coupla tablespns AppleCiderVinegar) in a glass of water. (You can substitute Himalayan pink salt if easier to obtain)   Been having it daily for some time... only takes a week or so to get used to the pungent cooked eggshell essence of the BSP 

Everyone has a plan until they are getting a tube shoved down their throat because they can no longer breathe on their own.

 

If you already have symptoms it's already too late but before that the best advice is probably to lose some weight since that seem to be the single biggest factor to getting severe symptoms.  For some reason you don't read much talk about that and far to much of this witch doctor nonsense.

Edited April 20, 2021 by shdmn

[Disparate Dan]

47 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Yes. It's very important to stay hydrated. Not sure if you can get Gatorade here but I think coconut water is very good for Electrolytes.

Beer is good for all that electrical stuff too...

[RocketDog]

11 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Yes. It's very important to stay hydrated. Not sure if you can get Gatorade here but I think coconut water is very good for Electrolytes.

I'm sure you know this but one can buy dry powder electrolyte packs at any pharmacy very cheaply and just add to water. 

[l4ml4m]

How many people get covid and don't even know ? just do like them, ignore it if you have no symptoms !

 

[l4ml4m]

still no covid auto tests in Thailand ?

Can we buy them from China ?

 

[ayahuasca]

(random ideas????

 

if you have symptoms, immediately get some insurance if you don't have it. some travel insurance will cover immediately even if you're already at your destination. 

 

if doing the RT-PCR test, perhaps you could send a friend to pick up the results? And also give out your friend's telephone number, but of course put your data down (they will do this for you with your ID when you get the test). if positive, perhaps you can enlist an attorney (or well-connected agent) to "enable" you to quarantine at home before they find you. 

 

it is not clear if Thailand has any of the advanced medications to treat Covid, and I presume they do not unless you have serious connections and cash. 

 

 

 

 

[scaldedfummy]

It's really like that anywhere in the world. If you have the cash you can have access to anything.

[brewsterbudgen]

Most of the staff at our school were tested as we had had a Covid-positive student.  We were all tested at PCT Laboratory in Bangkok and the results were individually emailed to us 24-hours later.  Only our email address and phone numbers were taken by the laboratory, so if someone had tested positive I guess it would be left up to them to admit themselves to hospital?

 

https://www.facebook.com/pctlaboratory

[DavisH]

On 4/20/2021 at 10:53 PM, Sheryl said:

Revised guidance appeared in the newspapers recently. It varies depending on your age, the type of symptom and whether you have had contact with an infected person or been to one of the known hotspots.

 

It does matter where you get tested as you will be hospitalized on the spot if they have beds. Otherwise may be sent to a field hospital or "hospitel".

 

If you are severely ill then go to a hospital, choosing one where you are willing to be hospitalized. 

 

If not so severe (no trouble breathing, able to walk around etc) then if it were me I'd just stay home, keep hydrated, take paracemol for fever, self- isolate and avoid testing sites. But make sure someone knows to keep an eye on you as if it is COVID, condition can change quickly.

I did read that for asymptomatics with the 'original' virus, one had to self isolate for at least 10 days. After that time, even if still positive, the viral load would be low enough to not be transmitted. Is there any update on the new strain regarding this? 

 

I think I'd probably do the same - isolate at home until well (unless I had complications such as difficulty breathing). 

[DavisH]

On 4/21/2021 at 11:43 AM, l4ml4m said:

How many people get covid and don't even know ? just do like them, ignore it if you have no symptoms !

 

Asymptomatic carriers can be infectious and have been found to have similar viral loads in the nasal passages as those with symptoms. Only about 20% of people are truly asymptomatic (never show symptoms for the entire course of the infection). Most are pre-symptomatic. 

[Jingthing]

This seems like excellent advice on how to treat yourself at home.

 

Now ask yourself do you really think you'll be able to do all that at one of those third world field so called hospitals?

 

 

[JTXR]

On 4/20/2021 at 5:29 PM, CrossBones said:

And for foreigners? In danger of being sent to the most important hospital, given treatment you dont need, and charged a million baht in the process?

 

I ask because i think you legally have to go to hospital once tested positive

Having to go to a real hospital in the case of being tested and found positive but asymptomatic would be bad.  Far worse would be having to go to one of these so-called "field hospitals" which are essentially stadiums or exhibition halls filled with hundreds of beds.  Staying in one would be a nightmare, one small step up from prison.

For that reason, I will avoid being tested at all costs while asymptomatic.  Even with mild symptoms, I would self isolate at home for 2 weeks.  Only with serious symptoms would I go to a real hospital to be tested.

[brewsterbudgen]

8 minutes ago, JTXR said:

Having to go to a real hospital in the case of being tested and found positive but asymptomatic would be bad.  Far worse would be having to go to one of these so-called "field hospitals" which are essentially stadiums or exhibition halls filled with hundreds of beds.  Staying in one would be a nightmare, one small step up from prison.

For that reason, I will avoid being tested at all costs while asymptomatic.  Even with mild symptoms, I would self isolate at home for 2 weeks.  Only with serious symptoms would I go to a real hospital to be tested.

You could get tested at a laboratory, or get a home test.  I can recommend PCT Laboratory; they only take your email and phone number, and email the result within 24 hours.

https://www.facebook.com/pctlaboratory

 

Blez Clinic offer home testing

https://blez-clinic.com/en/

https://www.facebook.com/blez.clinic.asok/photos/a.117227666589268/287957972849569/?type=3