Thailand steps up home isolation as virus cases strain hospitals

[snoop1130]

FILE PHOTO: People queue at the Central Vaccination Center as Thailand begins offering first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to at-risk groups amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Bangkok, Thailand, July 26, 2021. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand will increase the number of people required to isolate at home with COVID-19 to 100,000, health officials said on Monday, as capacity in healthcare facilities dwindles amid a surge in cases driven by the Delta variant of the virus.

 

Earlier in the pandemic, all COVID-19 patients in Thailand were admitted to hospitals, but last month authorities introduced home isolation for more than 30,000 people with minor or no symptoms for Bangkok and surrounding provinces.

 

"There are currently 60,000 patients in home isolation and we expect to expand that capacity to 100,000," health official Natthapong Wongwiwat, told a news briefing.

 

Patients isolating at home will receive medical equipment, medicine, meals, and phone consultations with doctors, he said.

"If their conditions worsen, they will be transferred to a field hospital or hospital," he said.

 

A surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the Delta variant has been rattling Asia, including in countries like Thailand and Vietnam which had been relatively successful at containing the virus.

 

The highly transmissible variant was behind an increase in coronavirus cases in Thailand last month. The current outbreak began in April and is the country's worst since the pandemic began.

 

On Sunday, authorities in Bangkok extended tight restrictions in the capital.

 

90% of Bangkok's 40,000 hospital beds were occupied as of Monday, permanent health secretary Kiatiphum Wongrajit said at a separate briefing. Nationwide, 80% of Thailand's 175,000 hospital beds were occupied, he added.

 

The Southeast Asian country's coronavirus taskforce on Monday reported 17,970 new cases, bringing its total caseload to 633,284 infections, with 5,074 deaths.

 

The jump in infections has increased pressure on the government to boost its sluggish pace of vaccinations, with only around 6% of Thailand's more than 66 million people fully vaccinated.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-08-02

 

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[Scrotobike]

Will these be counted and reported in the daily numberfest?

How can home isolation work amongst the normal thais who do not have HiSo accommodation and are forced to share a room (think Din Daeng for eg)

[Aussieroaming]

Like the Thai guy and his wife who posted their experience after they registered for government help after they tested positive and commencing self isolation at home.

 

They received a reply to the help request 10 days after registering for help, whereby they finally get their offer of support,  which is an  offer of a free meal. I think its called too little, too late, no wonder the populous have no faith in their leadership.

[drenddy]

My sister in law, admitted with Covid a week ago, after trying to get a hospital bed for 3 days, will be sent home, despite not fully recovered.

 

It was a walk in the park for her : both kids infected, her landlord and neighbors see them as cholera, threats of eviction, then it started with diareea, almost 20 times daily, went to hospital, waited to be taken to the ward, <deleted> on herself, but she did notice it, nobody came to help, got som IV, X ray showed pneumonia, improved, could eat, she was not on oxygen, dont know,whether no need for that or not enough oxygen, never saw the doctor, and now they think she is ready to come home.

 

This is why Thailand closed its borders.Not out of some sort of lifelong experience, extensive research, evidence based practice and highly competent health experts, no, only because they knew, they are too incompetent, dumb and the health system is a joke.

 

On the other hand, I would like to send a sincerely "go <deleted> yourself" to anyone who treats covid patients as the plague.But, when you are a dumb uneducated idiot and your Government keeps telling you Corona is the evil, so they can control you, I think you are somehow forgiven.