Tourism group asks government to reconsider scrapping Test and Go; opposition MP urges compensation

[Sheryl]

2 hours ago, EricTh said:

Huge Jackman got Covid and all he got was just flu-like symptoms. So I think it is overkill to scrap the test-and-go.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/28/arts/hugh-jackman-covid-the-music-man.html

The experience of one person - and one likely vaccinated at that - is hardly a basis for decision making.

 

We know that most people with COVID have no or mild symptoms. But the sheer numbers who get it meant many deaths. How lethal a disease is, is a function of 2 things: how many people get it  and the fatality rate.

 

Equally (or arguably even more) important are the collateral deaths due to an overstretched or collapsed health system.  Excess deaths during COVID well exceed reported COVID deaths and only some of that is from COVID deaths not identified as such. Many more are due to lack of medical care or medical care unduly delayed.

 

It does appear (still preliminary) that Omicron has smuch lower rates of hospitalization and deaths than earlier variants, but the more rapid rate at which it spreads means it can still easily overrun health systems, a nd this is close to happening already in some places.

 

Whether or not travel restrictions are needed to delay entry of the variant or slow the rate of spread depends on how much the variant is already established in the community.

 

As for lockdowns: some activities are far more risky than others. The riskiest ones (i.e. potential super-spreader events) are also the most public & visible and thus easiest to control.  There are reasonable measures that can be taken short of full lock-down, especially given that the goal is just to slow down the pace of spread. Nightclubs, indoor bars, sporting events and other mass events where people crowd together, especially indoors - these should certainly be put on hold.

 

[DLock]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

Read the post above that has many links explaining things.

I don't need to read any links.

 

Time will tell who's opinion is correct.

[The Hammer2021]

17 hours ago, DLock said:

There are plenty of online resources to argue any narrative, but recent experts suggest that Omicron spreads 70x faster than Delta, and there is no conclusive evidence that Omicron is a milder variant and is causing infections in triple vaccinations and people that have already recovered from COVID.

 

I guess time will tell who is right.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/28/omicron-is-not-the-same-disease-as-earlier-covid-waves-says-uk-scientist

[robblok]

18 hours ago, cedel said:

No, I don't agree. It's already known and confirmed by now than "Omicron" , although spreads about 3x faster , is much less dangerous and less able to send people in hospital in ICU or to death though...so, if clever and logic (but are they ...;- ?) , they shoud reinstall the test and go procedure quickly, also, the incubation of the omicron is muc shorter than the previous variants (sometimes just a few days), and is not worse on vaccinating people than a cold of a few days....

I beg to differ, while you might be right in general some have it a lot worse. My SIL in the Netherlands caught it and was really sick. Not a few days weeks already. While the others my dad, mom, her husband (my brother) and their daughter were ok within a few days. All were of course vaccinated. 

[Sheryl]

11 hours ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

the sceintific truth is that there is no point to close the country, once it is

confirmed that the variant is spreading locally.

that is whythe U,S, and many other countries, not so advanced like thailand but still

modern, scrapped all restrictions on travel from africa and else where.

the point in the initial closure is to gain time in case of a serious outbreak.

but once the omikron is in thailand than there is no point in blocking the borderd,

 True, but there is a difference between active local spread and the variant having entered the country at all. It could be argued that there is not yet evidence of uncontrolled local transmission here. There surely will be, eventually, but there is not yet.

 

However once there is, based on past performance the government will not lift the travel barriers.  They really could have done so by April 2021 yet they waited till November....just in time for the next variant. By April the rates of positivity in the population well exceeded what was seen in international arrivals and travek barriers were serving no function.

 

The other important issue is whether time gained by travel barriers is used to good effect which in this instance would mean rapidly immunizing the still unimmunized plus rapidly administering booster doses. Not at all clear this is being effectively done. In that sense,  travel barriers may actual serve a negative function as it seems to lead to a false sense of security. Again, what happened the first time around.

[ThailandRyan]

21 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

 True, but there is a difference between active local spread and the variant having entered the country at all. It could be argued that there is not yet evidence of uncontrolled local transmission here. There surely will be, eventually, but there is not yet.

 

However once there is, based on past performance the government will not lift the travel barriers.  They really could have done so by April 2021 yet they waited till November....just in time for the next variant. By April the rates of positivity in the population well exceeded what was seen in international arrivals and travek barriers were serving no function.

 

The other important issue is whether time gained by travel barriers is used to good effect which in this instance would mean rapidly immunizing the still unimmunized plus rapidly administering booster doses. Not at all clear this is being effectively done. In that sense,  travel barriers may actual serve a negative function as it seems to lead to a false sense of security. Again, what happened the first time around.

Unfortunately these folks are always late to react and when they do it becomes overkill and strangles the country for a lot longer than necessary, just as you said @Sheryl

[CG1 Blue]

14 hours ago, Albert Zweistein said:

You mean not publishing the infection numbers ?

Do we publish the number of people with chest colds each day?

[wasabi]

The worldwide reaction to Omicron is complete hysteria and political theater. I am not a Covid denier and have taken it seriously throughout, but the media and government outlets conveniently ignore the latest news that this is not a dangerous variant, may actually help end the pandemic, and instead revert to their comfortable stance of controlling the population for the sake of acting like they are doing something rather than helping anyone at all. Thailand in particular has gone full retard since the pandemic began. Making the wrong decision at every turn while congratulating themselves regardless. Every action is either an under or over reaction but not never a measured and sane course. The shutdown of Thailand Pass has already done much more economic damage than protecting a single person's health. I am lucky that these clowns have no effect on me personally but it is sad to see.

[Albert Zweistein]

1 hour ago, CG1 Blue said:

Do we publish the number of people with chest colds each day?

People die by thousands of chest cold ?

[CG1 Blue]

2 minutes ago, Albert Zweistein said:

People die by thousands of chest cold ?

Do people die by the thousands of the omicron variant? 

[Albert Zweistein]

1 hour ago, CG1 Blue said:

Do people die by the thousands of the omicron variant? 

Worldwide yes.

[CG1 Blue]

22 minutes ago, Albert Zweistein said:

Worldwide yes.

Any proof of that? That thousands are dying worldwide of the Omicron variant? 

[Albert Zweistein]

2 hours ago, CG1 Blue said:

Any proof of that? That thousands are dying worldwide of the Omicron variant? 

Do you live under a rock ?

[CG1 Blue]

2 hours ago, Albert Zweistein said:

Do you live under a rock ?

No proof then? 

[underthesky]

Test & Go positives are rapidly increasing. On 28/12, 1.2% of Test & Go arrivals tested positive. That's 15x November's average of 0.08%. Source:

 

 

[Albert Zweistein]

1 hour ago, CG1 Blue said:

No proof then? 

Read the news.

[DonniePeverley]

On 12/28/2021 at 11:51 AM, cedel said:

No, I don't agree. It's already known and confirmed by now than "Omicron" , although spreads about 3x faster , is much less dangerous and less able to send people in hospital in ICU or to death though...so, if clever and logic (but are they ...;- ?) , they shoud reinstall the test and go procedure quickly, also, the incubation of the omicron is muc shorter than the previous variants (sometimes just a few days), and is not worse on vaccinating people than a cold of a few days....

 

They all love the rhetoric of 'LIVING WITH THE VIRUS' but when it comes to it, most countries in SE Asia instinct is to lockdown and not live with it, even it's going to be impossible this time. 

[jacko45k]

18 hours ago, DLock said:

I don't need to read any links.

 

Time will tell who's opinion is correct.

Ominous post...... how have you developed this baseless 'opinion'?

[Wongkitlo]

5 hours ago, CG1 Blue said:

No proof then? 

I don't believe governments really care about deaths. They are moreworried about hospital systems being overrun. No government wants to be the one that is publicized as leaving. People dying in car parks because of lack of beds. I think Spain and Italy were the last examples of this.

[CG1 Blue]

9 hours ago, Wongkitlo said:

I don't believe governments really care about deaths. They are moreworried about hospital systems being overrun. No government wants to be the one that is publicized as leaving. People dying in car parks because of lack of beds. I think Spain and Italy were the last examples of this.

You're probably right. Thankfully there's no sign of a similar catastrophe at the moment, probably because a lot of people are vaccinated plus Omicron has less severe symptoms. 

[DLock]

10 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Ominous post...... how have you developed this baseless 'opinion'?

I guess time will tell.

[Anna Rak]

On 12/28/2021 at 11:51 AM, cedel said:

No, I don't agree. It's already known and confirmed by now than "Omicron" , although spreads about 3x faster , is much less dangerous and less able to send people in hospital in ICU or to death though...so, if clever and logic (but are they ...;- ?) , they shoud reinstall the test and go procedure quickly, also, the incubation of the omicron is muc shorter than the previous variants (sometimes just a few days), and is not worse on vaccinating people than a cold of a few days....

I have to agree, My Thai wife, my son and myself are all just getting over a dose of the "Omicron" and all 3 of us have had no more than normal flu symptoms, both my wife and myself have had 3 jabs and my 14 year old has had the mandatory 1.

Cough, runny nose and 38 degree fever which was sorted with paracetamol. 

The media from all countries should be ashamed of themselves for initiating mas hysteria when there is no major problem.

 

All the deaths that are now being reported are all saying that they had tested positive for COVID within 28 days, what has happened to the people who have passed with natural causes, ie; Heart attacks, Flu and Strokes, are they not dying anymore.

[SCOTT FITZGERSLD]

On 12/29/2021 at 6:18 AM, Sheryl said:

 True, but there is a difference between active local spread and the variant having entered the country at all. It could be argued that there is not yet evidence of uncontrolled local transmission here. There surely will be, eventually, but there is not yet.

 

However once there is, based on past performance the government will not lift the travel barriers.  They really could have done so by April 2021 yet they waited till November....just in time for the next variant. By April the rates of positivity in the population well exceeded what was seen in international arrivals and travek barriers were serving no function.

 

The other important issue is whether time gained by travel barriers is used to good effect which in this instance would mean rapidly immunizing the still unimmunized plus rapidly administering booster doses. Not at all clear this is being effectively done. In that sense,  travel barriers may actual serve a negative function as it seems to lead to a false sense of security. Again, what happened the first time around.

i personally believe the omikron variant and all the anglo saxon stats involved with it are

just another lie to keep people at home in the festive season.

i base my opinion on stats from south american countries and even south africa, who do not

follow any new restrictions and do not show any rise in infections, let alone deaths.

hard to admit,but your countries are lying to you. thaland is just obeying anything the big boss

from UK / US are telling them to do.

[Scott]

On 12/28/2021 at 8:26 PM, EricTh said:

Huge Jackman got Covid and all he got was just flu-like symptoms. So I think it is overkill to scrap the test-and-go.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/28/arts/hugh-jackman-covid-the-music-man.html

Finding one or a few people who do well does not mean everyone will fare as well.   There is a 107 year old woman in Minnesota who survived Covid.  She also survived the Spanish Flu, but she is an anomaly.   On the other side you have people like Nick Cordero, the Broadway actor who died of Covid at 41 after many months of battling the disease.

Most of the evidence seems to point toward Omicron being milder, but even a mild disease that affects thousands or tens of thousands of people is going to strain the medical system.  Some people will simply get sick enough to require medical attention and a few will die. 

 

It's difficult to know what is the best strategy for any country including Thailand.