Thailand finds first local cases of South African COVID-19 variant, scientists say

[Jonathan Fairfield]

FILE PHOTO: A health worker takes a nasal swab sample from a man from Klong Toey community, for a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test, in Bangkok, Thailand, May 4, 2021. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

 

(Reuters) - Thailand has detected the first local cases of the coronavirus variant discovered in South Africa, a group of scientists said on Saturday, saying the finding should prompt vaccination efforts to be ramped up.

 

The South African variant, known as B.1.351, carries mutations that threaten the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, several studies have shown.

 

In Thailand, the variant was identified in three test samples from a cluster of infections that could be linked to illegal migration in the south of the country, the COVID-19 Network Investigations Alliance said in a report.

 

“The variant may impact human immunity response from the virus and reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine,” said the alliance, which conducts genomics surveillance and research and has worked closely with the government during the pandemic.

“This does not mean that the vaccines do not work but there must be an increase in the ratio of population receiving the vaccine,” the report said.

 

Thai health authorities did not immediately comment on the scientists’ findings.

 

Thailand detected the South African variant on Feb. 15 in a Thai man who had traveled from Tanzania and was put under the mandatory quarantine upon arrival.

 

But the discovery of a domestic transmission of the variant could complicate the country’s efforts to tackle its worst COVID-19 outbreak so far.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-05-23

 

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

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[redwood1]

[cclub75]

But we were told that the quarantine system for all the dirty foreigners was ironclad ?

 

Well... not. The reality is that the virus finds always its way.

 

Thailand is not an island.

 

So i guess now we have all of them (the famous "variants")... so perhaps we can cool down and learn how to live with all thoses terribles virus...

 

The Zero Covid ideology is hurting us.

Edited May 23, 2021 by cclub75

[ThailandRyan]

The third variant is now here and in all places found in Narithiwat, which is kind of strange in itself, but then maybe it came in through Malaysia.

 

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/05/17/malaysia-detects-seven-more-cases-of-covid-19-variants-first-found-in-south/1974849 

 

Yes it was found amongst undocumented workers, but where did they come in through the border at exactly, and did they arrive by boat or walk in.  I hope they are checking backwards to see which area of Malaysia it came in through.  Only time I guess before it makes it around to the capital.

[redwood1]

5 minutes ago, cclub75 said:

But we were told that the quarantine system for all the dirty foreigners was ironclad ?

 

Well... not. The reality is that the virus finds always its way.

 

Thailand is not an island.

 

So i guess now we have all of them (the famous "variants")... so perhaps we can cool down and learn how to live with all thoses terribles virus...

 

The Zero Covid ideology is hurting us.

The lockdows should continue until there are zero more diseases (all of them) including cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure and covid...

[Bkk Brian]

2 minutes ago, redwood1 said:

The lockdows should continue until there are zero more diseases (all of them) including cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure and covid...

What lockdowns?

[redwood1]

5 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

What lockdowns?

I guess your condos gym and pool are open...That's very nice of them to ignore the lockdown..

[RotBenz8888]

43 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

a group of scientists said on Saturday, saying the finding should prompt vaccination efforts to be ramped up.

I agree with them. 

[ThailandRyan]

9 minutes ago, redwood1 said:

I guess your condos gym and pool are open...That's very nice of them to ignore the lockdown..

It is not a lockdown, but a closure, just like all the parks are still closed here in Bangkok.  You can still go outside, walk, or run, enjoy the sun, go sit in a mall, eat dinner in a restaurant, and even drive from here to there and travel domestically to certain areas without having to Quarantine.  So not a lockdown in the true use of the word.

[ThailandRyan]

34 minutes ago, redwood1 said:

The lockdows should continue until there are zero more diseases (all of them) including cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure and covid...

Gotta love the sarcasm

[Bkk Brian]

31 minutes ago, redwood1 said:

I guess your condos gym and pool are open...That's very nice of them to ignore the lockdown..

I don't live in a condo I have my own pool thanks....lol

[Jeffr2]

1 hour ago, cclub75 said:

But we were told that the quarantine system for all the dirty foreigners was ironclad ?

 

Well... not. The reality is that the virus finds always its way.

 

Thailand is not an island.

 

So i guess now we have all of them (the famous "variants")... so perhaps we can cool down and learn how to live with all thoses terribles virus...

 

The Zero Covid ideology is hurting us.

Zero Covid ideology hurting us?  Ummm....how many of died from covid so far?  Well over 10MM.  So perhaps it's not such a bad idea. 

 

P.S. Thai officials have always said the borders were a problem.  Perhaps you missed those news reports.

[pseudorabies]

If only Thailand was as good at keeping the infected out of the country as it is at keeping western vaccines out (or as good at importing western vaccines as it is at importing the infected) we'd be in a much better situation.

[alyx]

19 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

I don't live in a condo I have my own pool thanks....lol

Put me on the guest list Thanks ????

 

[Sametboy2019]

It's more probabal that variants aren't coming in but are mutating from previous strains to make themselves more affective in spreading.

A viruses os is to spread not to kill. 

[Rimmer]

A conspiracy troll post has been removed

[MasterBaker]

postpone mass vaccination more and you will find all kinds of mutations here in Thailand

[brommers]

The medical authorities are staying quiet for one good reason. They are waiting for the Czar to admit that the AstraZeneca vaccine is ineffective against the S African variant. This was proven in S Africa months ago and their government immediately deleted the vaccine from their national plan. They are now already vaccinating their general public with imported Pfizer vaccine and in 4 months built a production plant that is turning out millions of doses of J&J. Meanwhile Thailand is whistling in the dark waiting for a vaccine that offers no protection against a variant that is already in the wild and spreading amongst the Thai population. Is there a  light at the end of the tunnel or is it the sun shining out of a certain someone's ass?

[sagra]

13 minutes ago, brommers said:

The medical authorities are staying quiet for one good reason. They are waiting for the Czar to admit that the AstraZeneca vaccine is ineffective against the S African variant. This was proven in S Africa months ago and their government immediately deleted the vaccine from their national plan. They are now already vaccinating their general public with imported Pfizer vaccine and in 4 months built a production plant that is turning out millions of doses of J&J. Meanwhile Thailand is whistling in the dark waiting for a vaccine that offers no protection against a variant that is already in the wild and spreading amongst the Thai population. Is there a  light at the end of the tunnel or is it the sun shining out of a certain someone's ass?

It’s quite true. “Two doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine were found to have only a 10.4% efficacy against mild-to-moderate infections caused by the B.1.351 South Africa variant, according to a phase 1b-2 clinical trial published on Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. This is a cause for grave concern as the South African variants share similar mutations to the other variants leaving those vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine potentially exposed to multiple variants. This new finding should force a rapid acceleration of second-generation vaccines and encourage further research into the possibility of a pancoronavirus vaccine.      ”

[itsari]

2 hours ago, cclub75 said:

But we were told that the quarantine system for all the dirty foreigners was ironclad ?

 

Well... not. The reality is that the virus finds always its way.

 

Thailand is not an island.

 

So i guess now we have all of them (the famous "variants")... so perhaps we can cool down and learn how to live with all thoses terribles virus...

 

The Zero Covid ideology is hurting us.

Agree with your comments , however I would like the reference made to what country the variants are supposedly from banned. Just use the code given . There seems only one country that can be named with certainty is the Chinese covid 19 . 

[mommysboy]

45 minutes ago, brommers said:

The medical authorities are staying quiet for one good reason. They are waiting for the Czar to admit that the AstraZeneca vaccine is ineffective against the S African variant. This was proven in S Africa months ago and their government immediately deleted the vaccine from their national plan. They are now already vaccinating their general public with imported Pfizer vaccine and in 4 months built a production plant that is turning out millions of doses of J&J. Meanwhile Thailand is whistling in the dark waiting for a vaccine that offers no protection against a variant that is already in the wild and spreading amongst the Thai population. Is there a  light at the end of the tunnel or is it the sun shining out of a certain someone's ass?

 

It was one small study.  Oxford appear confident over its ability to prevent serious infection.   The SA variant tends not to be dominant when faced with the UK strain.

Real world data vs theoretical abstraction.  

[ChrisKC]

The "Ramping up" of vaccinations, irrespective of new developments, should have been enacted with urgency and vigour a good while ago.

[IamNoone88]

Time to open Phuket!! Push push push the sandbox!!

 

Common sense will not prevail even as 43% of those vaccinated in the cluster, even with the good stuff - Moderna and Pfizer still contract the virus and require quarantine;

 

According to CNA's study of data published on MOH’s website, 43 out of the 100 cases linked to the cluster so far have received one or two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

A comparison between those who have been vaccinated and those who have not, revealed that there were 12 more symptomatic cases in the unvaccinated pool. Common symptoms include fever, cough and runny nose.

Twenty-four patients linked to the cluster preliminarily tested positive for the B1617 variant, which was first detected in India. Half of them were not vaccinated.

Since the cluster emerged in early-May, authorities have implemented a slew of measures, including special testing operations and the closure of airport passenger terminals to the public.

 

Full article here; https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/covid-19-changi-airport-cluster-timeline-14855936

 

 

[Guderian]

The latest news from the UK is that the vaccines DO protect you from both the South African and Indian strains. So what is Prayut waiting for, stop fantasising over the Phuket sandbox and having wet dreams about submarines, and get moving on the vaccine rollout.

[malibukid]

no kidding, has Thailand heard of operation warp speed.  get some people over here from the West who know what they are doing to assist asap.  you are not going to conquer this thing with an 18th century mind set.  you may loose a little face, but grow up and get your act together,  this is serious.

Edited May 23, 2021 by malibukid

[vandeventer]

2 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

It is not a lockdown, but a closure, just like all the parks are still closed here in Bangkok.  You can still go outside, walk, or run, enjoy the sun, go sit in a mall, eat dinner in a restaurant, and even drive from here to there and travel domestically to certain areas without having to Quarantine.  So not a lockdown in the true use of the word.

Guess what ? My Barber shop just opened and I can now get a haircut which my hair  is down to my shoulders with all these lockdowns. The only problem now is he is wearing 3 masks and 1 is almost covering his eyes.

[ThailandRyan]

Just now, vandeventer said:

Guess what ? My Barber shop just opened and I can now get a haircut which my hair  is down to my shoulders with all these lockdowns. The only problem now is he is wearing 3 masks and 1 is almost covering his eyes.

Still getting my hair cut with no issues by my barber here in Bangkok.

[fleccer]

The  Lapland, or  Patagonia variants didn't they found them yet? Damn what are they waiting for? 

 Another variant seems to be coming from the international space station as well????????

[ChrisKC]

5 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

Guess what ? My Barber shop just opened and I can now get a haircut which my hair  is down to my shoulders with all these lockdowns. The only problem now is he is wearing 3 masks and 1 is almost covering his eyes.

But you still have both of your ears, right?

If you had one cut off by your partially-sighted barber, you would have good reason not to wear a mask!

[Blumpie]

18 minutes ago, malibukid said:

no kidding, has Thailand heard of operation warp speed.  get some people over here from the West who know what they are doing to assist asap.  you are not going to conquer this thing with an 18th century mind set.  you may loose a little face, but grow up and get your act together,  this is serious.

I know how frustrating this is - unfortunately thailand dropped the ball ordering vaccines.

What we need is a global effort to pump as many out as fast as possible yesterday.  It feels like now you can order billions of doses but they aren't going to show up anytime soon.