Thailand’s Chiang Rai province detects first potential Omicron case

[webfact]

Photo by Handout / US Food and Drug Administration / AFP

 

Chiang Rai Governor Pasakorn Boonyalak, accompanied by provincial health chief Dr. Watchapong Kamla, announced the first potential Omicron variant case in the province today (Tuesday).

 

The governor said that the COVID-19 infected patient, a 36-year old Briton, tested negative by RT-PCR before departing for Thailand and passed a second RT-PCR test upon his arrival at Suvarnabhumi international airport in Bangkok on December 13th.

 

He spent two nights at a hotel before flying to Chiang Mai to meet three American friends. The four hired a Thai driver to take them to Chiang Rai on December 15th. On the way they stopped at a service station in Wiang Papao district and at the White Temple, before checking in to a hotel. That evening, they had dinner together at a restaurant close to the hotel.

 

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Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thailands-chiang-rai-province-detects-first-potential-omicron-case/

 

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[hotchilli]

I wonder why the PCR tests are having trouble detecting this strain?

[KC 71]

9 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

I wonder why the PCR tests are having trouble detecting this strain?

I think sometimes ,they can give false positives or negatives unfortunately.

[IAMHERE]

23 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

I wonder why the PCR tests are having trouble detecting this strain?

Because this form of Covid is so benign, hardly any symptoms at all?  Hopefully it gives great antibodies.

Downside is you have to reinstate the 14 days quarantne for everybody even though its asymptomatic as all gitout. 

[Danderman123]

I wonder what hotel he used….?

[arithai12]

There is no indication in the linked article that it's confirmed to be Omicron.

Also, the Brit apparently developed fever but then no more after few days of "treatment".

[webfact]

First tourist in Chiang Rai with Omicron is British man - three Americans at high risk

 

Picture Manager

 

Manager reported that the first foreign tourist identified with the Omicron variant in Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand is a British man.

 

The Brit took a flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai then hired a driver to drive him to Chiang Khong. 

 

The driver and three Americans are being traced who were close contacts of the tourist.

 

Four people at a pharmacy were deemed to be low risk contacts. 

 

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[Bkk Brian]

39 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

There is no indication in the linked article that it's confirmed to be Omicron.

Also, the Brit apparently developed fever but then no more after few days of "treatment".

The PCR tests detect the S gene drop out which is the signal that it is Omicron. When there are few cases like this then they also sequence it to confirm, once it gets to 100's and 1000's of cases it becomes a physical impossibility to sequence all cases and so the S gene is used in PCR for the majority, such as in the UK, Denmark, US and other countries experiencing full blown outbreaks.

[mvdf]

Imagine if this happened a century or two ago when advancements in the study of genetics, molecular biology, immunology, epidemiology and microbiology were either non-existent or in their infancy. It would have eradicated most of the planet's population and most of us wouldn't be here as a result of our ancestral lineage having been wiped out. This is a scary scourge.

 

[smedly]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Four people at a pharmacy were deemed to be low risk contacts.

my understanding of omicron is that there is no such thing as low risk contact

[Unify]

2 minutes ago, mvdf said:

Imagine if this happened a century or two ago when genetics, molecular biology, immunology, epidemiology and microbiology were either non-existent or in their infancy. It would have eradicated most of the planet's population and most of us wouldn't be here as a result of our ancestral lineage having been wiped out. This is a scary scourge.

 

100 years ago, there were maybe 1/4 the number of people on earth. Less population density. A lot less mobility. People weren't flying across world like they do now.

 

I'm not one of these "the virus only kills .02%"  people, but even without vaccinations (which didn't start to hit their stride yet), it wouldn't have eradicated the Earth's population. Not even close.

[IAMHERE]

39 minutes ago, mvdf said:

Imagine if this happened a century or two ago when advancements in the study of genetics, molecular biology, immunology, epidemiology and microbiology were either non-existent or in their infancy. It would have eradicated most of the planet's population and most of us wouldn't be here as a result of our ancestral lineage having been wiped out. This is a scary scourge.

 

 The survival rate is 99% or better, would take some doiing to eradicate most of the population with that mortality rate. Even that rate seems to be mostly those old enogh to have finished most of their procreating by the time they died of Covid.

 

[placnx]

1 hour ago, mvdf said:

Imagine if this happened a century or two ago when advancements in the study of genetics, molecular biology, immunology, epidemiology and microbiology were either non-existent or in their infancy. It would have eradicated most of the planet's population and most of us wouldn't be here as a result of our ancestral lineage having been wiped out. This is a scary scourge.

 

Actually it might have largely affected China since the news may well have gotten out before the virus. Missionaries would have spilled the beans, and China would have been cordoned off.

[Bkktodd]

High risk at what is considered a less severe strain with present knowledge. The hysteria.  Now if you can direct that hysteria towards the 12,000 killed on thai roads I’d be pleased

[hotandsticky]

4 hours ago, Bkktodd said:

High risk at what is considered a less severe strain with present knowledge. The hysteria.  Now if you can direct that hysteria towards the 12,000 killed on thai roads I’d be pleased

Directing it to tuition and realistic testing would be a better idea.

[Tuvoc]

On 12/22/2021 at 12:45 AM, hotchilli said:

I wonder why the PCR tests are having trouble detecting this strain?

I'm guessing that there is a lag for Covid to show in PCR tests ?  If he was exposed in the last hours of the plane journey from the UK, then merely hours later the PCR test on arrival wasn't able to detect it ?  Then over the next 3 days it took hold and he started to show symptoms.

 

I just arrived in CR yesterday, having flown from the UK and did the one night Test and Go. First PCR test is negative but I'm waiting for a few days before seeing my wife and family just to be sure, and taking daily lateral flow tests in the meantime. Last thing I want is to pass it on to them if I was exposed and it didn't show in that first test.