SURVEY: What effect will the Omicron variant have on Thailand?

[Scott]

The recent detection of a new Covid variant, Omicron, has resulted in the banning of travel from several African nations to the UK, UK and Europe.   Cases have been found in the UK and Hong Kong and suspected cases are being investigated elsewhere.

 

What effect do you think this variant will have on Thailand?   Choose the best option. 

 

Feel free to leave a comment.

[Credo]

Taking a wild guess, I'd say that it's going to have a short-term affect on travel, tourism and public health.  I think we will find out in a few weeks just how transmissible this virus is and how effective our vaccines are against it.   

 

If, and it is a big if, the virus follows the usual path, it will get more transmissible but less deadly.  

[G Rex]

My wife is rubbing my crystal balls as I type -  sorry I will try to stay on topic

Until further information regarding the transmission, the associated rate of death or hospitalisation and whether current vaccines afford any protection to this variant - it is impossible to predict.

Many countries have already slammed the doors shut to these African countries - but it appears the horse has already bolted. Australia has several cases in New South Wales - asymptomatic fully vaccinated travellers from South Africa. So maybe is ‘the next wave’ - or maybe ‘much ado about nothing’.  Time will tell.

[swissie]

Answer: We don't know yet. Nobody knows yet.

 

The only thing we know is that the longer we give time for the virus to mutate, the higher the chances become, that someday a virus mutation will emerge, where vaccines offer no more protection.

[Blumpie]

Worst case, everything will be slammed shut again.

Best case, a temporary blip.  Not that Thailand's tourism industry was going anywhere this year anyways.  

Look to fall 2022 for a POSSIBLE slight recovery.  Regardless, this year is a write-off.  

[meechai]

I am hoping business as usual (as it should be)

This merry go round will go round for decades & no country will survive hiding from the slightest breeze

 

This is Omicron ...There are not many letters left

The reason is because as we always knew this virus like the common cold or HIV mutates quickly

If we dont want to look like a dog chasing its tail it is best we come to grips with that

 

 

 

[1FinickyOne]

is there much difference between answer 1 or 3? and 2 and 4? 

 

I never would have believed such a large % of the population would be anti-vax... that will help the virus to mutate and spread... 

[JackGats]

If it keeps the Chinese out I'm happy. I hope it will not keep ME out though.

[RubbaJohnny]

At first a niggardly half hearted reaction, then when some hi-so's lives or lies or livelihoods threatened the headless chicken random approach.

 

Whatever else do not adopt best practice from others.

A herbal substance will be found to ward of Nu-Xi-Omicron and STDs .

 

Until in the post hiatus the devastated economy Barack Obama is chosen to lead the lost to the promised Foodland.

 

In between the usual suspects will be blames, black foreigners , white foreigners, Drs , nurses, the poor, the dark skinned and daily the Burmese , rinse and repeat.

 

Gawd bless Siam coz no one else will

[Jingthing]

Impossible to make an informed guess.

 

Wait for two or three weeks after the initial analysis is done.

[The Hammer2021]

Look to Israel

[RichardColeman]

I voted minimal - the fact that 99.92% of arrivals are clear of infection shows that incomers are not a great risk of spreading this variant. So it should not affect 'current' arrivals.

 

BUT, if the government chooses to ignore this and closes the airports again it will have a dire effect on Thailand and their businesses, many more would go to the wall, they would not survive another 18 months of economic mindless destruction.

 

We're mostly all old now and the closures do not effect us too much. 22 months away form the wife and kid is not pleasant but livable at our age. Our descendants will rightly criticise the economic destruction and debt they will be forced to pay off instead of buying a house and having a better lifestyle

 

 

[bangkokbonecollector]

If anything they will change the 1 day for double jabbed to 7days and an additional PCR test. I cannot see Thailand closing borders or going back to 14day quarantine for all arrivals.

 

The early signs are that this strain does not seem to be anymore potent than Delta, but may spread more easily. I hope we are heading out of flu territory and into the common cold.

Edited November 28, 2021 by bangkokbonecollector

[RichardColeman]

16 minutes ago, bangkokbonecollector said:

If anything they will change the 1 day for double jabbed to 7days and an additional PCR test

I guess the Thai pass will soon become known as the Thai yoyo farce pass soon then

[AlexRich]

It may turn out to be nothing serious. I don’t think we’ll know for a few weeks. Thailand should focus on the roll out of vaccines and boosters, and only worry about this if the facts confirm it is serious.

[StayinThailand2much]

Hard to say. The only sure thing is, that case numbers will most likely increase again to 20,000 a day or more. Everything else will depend on the severity of the symptoms of this variant.

[talahtnut]

Gates has already told you, theres plenty more to come.

 

[ukrules]

8 minutes ago, talahtnut said:

Gates has already told you, theres plenty more to come.

Gates doesn't know anything.

[klauskunkel]

Quote

SURVEY: What affect will the Omicron variant have on Thailand?

Omicron's behavior will adhere strictly to the result of this survey!

[zzaa09]

4 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Impossible to make an informed guess.

 

Wait for two or three weeks after the initial analysis is done.

It hasn't even been sensationalize or fear mongering newsworthy but for a few days, and we already have all the experts and assorted wannabes coming outta the woodwork speculating about what is and might be. 

 

Typical of the ongoing Covid Era.

[JimHuaHin]

I am going to annoy the "administrators" of this site, by asking, why are you asking this question "SURVEY: What affect will the Omicron variant have on Thailand?" now?  How can people possibly respond to this question, except out of fear or ignorance, when medical researchers have yet to determine the nature and impact of the 50-odd mutations (most of which have not been found in earlier variants) found in Omicron?  Once the influence of these mutations, individually and in concert, have been reliably determined, then predictions of the course and impact of Omicron can be made.

[Jaxxper]

Truly too early to tell, but if recent Covid management history is anything to go by, I could see reinstatement of Covid controls.

[nobodysfriend]

Too early to define the effects of all the mutations in the new variant . Time will tell .

[Jeffr2]

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

Gates doesn't know anything.

I dare say he's smarter than any of us posting here! LOL.

 

Not to mention, he's been a financial supporter of these vaccines for a long time.  And is backing Covax big time.

 

Kudos to Gates.

[spidermike007]

 

Possibly none. This is not the Zombie Apocalypse. Some caution is OK. Living one's life in a state of panic and utter paranoia creates alot of stress, and ultimately decimates the immune system. 

[tandor]

The Greek Alphabet has 24 letters.

CoronaVirus2 is here to stay.

It will keep mutating.

Learn to live with it.

[Blumpie]

15 minutes ago, tandor said:

The Greek Alphabet has 24 letters.

CoronaVirus2 is here to stay.

It will keep mutating.

Learn to live with it.

Isn't that true and lovely at the same time.

I believe the next variant will be named pi.  I am looking forward to that.  I love pie.  

[James105]

I don't think any rational person would be particularly worried about the new scariant, especially since the SA scientists are saying that it is mild.    I think most rational people though will be rightly terrified about the over reaction from their governments that will use this as an excuse to further exert control over their people and continue to restrict their lives in some way, demanding that they get booster shots whilst at the exact same time telling people to be scared of this new mutation as the vaccines do not work against it.   

[Jeffr2]

1 minute ago, James105 said:

I don't think any rational person would be particularly worried about the new scariant, especially since the SA scientists are saying that it is mild.    I think most rational people though will be rightly terrified about the over reaction from their governments that will use this as an excuse to further exert control over their people and continue to restrict their lives in some way, demanding that they get booster shots whilst at the exact same time telling people to be scared of this new mutation as the vaccines do not work against it.   

Scariant?  Seriously?  Governments aren't over reacting.  They're taking the advice from scientists and doctors.  Control over people?  Wow.

 

I've not read any credible news report that says vaccines don't work with this new mutation.

[Blumpie]

3 minutes ago, James105 said:

I don't think any rational person would be particularly worried about the new scariant, especially since the SA scientists are saying that it is mild.    I think most rational people though will be rightly terrified about the over reaction from their governments that will use this as an excuse to further exert control over their people and continue to restrict their lives in some way, demanding that they get booster shots whilst at the exact same time telling people to be scared of this new mutation as the vaccines do not work against it.   

Generally speaking pandemics do mutate and tend to get weaker with time.  Viruses want us alive to survive, they much prefer it that way as opposed to dead.  That's why MERS didn't really make it.  It just killed everyone.  

 

That's a general rule, we will know more in a few weeks.  The talk that this is less serious is just garbage barfed out of Reddit or this forum from people with as much medical training as me - that is high school biology so basically nothing.