Thai virologist Dr. Yong predicts daily COVID-19 infections may reach 100,000

[bkk6060]

His comments sure do not help to bring tourists here I am surprised he has not been told to be quiet.

[Paul Henry]

From the comments from Yong it appears he and Anutin don't talk or listen to each other.

[garyk]

Omicron spiked threw the roof now it is dropping like a rock in the US. 

[Tom H]

Yong. All said.

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Dr. Yong, head of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at the Faculty of Medicine of Chulalongkorn University, pointed out that the current rate of infection is ten times that of the four previous waves in the country

I already have seen more people I know with Omicron than with Delta, most with cold like symptoms.

[spidermike007]

Omi has already proven itself to be far less lethal. This is pure speculation, and is likely being done with pressure from the goon squad, to keep the public panicked, and in a state of fear. They are easier to control, and a highly unpopular regime can maintain a tight grip. 

 

This doctor should be locked up for panic mongering. And besides, Omi numbers are dropping in most nations. What did Anutin do wrong, again? 

[nattaya09]

22 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

His comments sure do not help to bring tourists here I am surprised he has not been told to be quiet.

Maybe the current administration wants Thailand to be a hermit kingdom so they have to do as necessary to discourage travel there.

 

So far, it appears to be working

[Farangdk]

And so what? 

[MrJ2U]

100,000 will completely collapse the already inadequate Thai Health services.

 

The already fragile tourist operators are going to see massive cancelations.

 

We'll see how the government's dependcy on Sinovac turns out.

[vandeventer]

6 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Guess the sky is the limit with Omicron.  It has been elsewhere, but as quickly as it went up elsewhere it went downwards.  However, from when the first cases were found here in Thailand Omicron has not acted like it has elsewhere until just the past 5 days, so one has to ask themselves why?  What is so different about Thailand that the virus acts completely out of character before it takes off just like with Delta and the original strain.......

I think If you build up your immune system and are vaxxed you should not have much to worry about no matter how old or how young you are.

[MrJ2U]

21 minutes ago, nattaya09 said:

Maybe the current administration wants Thailand to be a hermit kingdom so they have to do as necessary to discourage travel there.

 

So far, it appears to be working

With a raging pandemic people aren't going to come.

 

 

 

 

[MrJ2U]

1 minute ago, vandeventer said:

I think If you build up your immune system and are vaxxed you should not have much to worry about no matter how old or how young you are.

....if you're motivated and have family and enough cash for sure!

 

 

[Surasak]

6 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Guess the sky is the limit with Omicron.  It has been elsewhere, but as quickly as it went up elsewhere it went downwards.  However, from when the first cases were found here in Thailand Omicron has not acted like it has elsewhere until just the past 5 days, so one has to ask themselves why?  What is so different about Thailand that the virus acts completely out of character before it takes off just like with Delta and the original strain.......

From your number of posts I guess you have been in Thailand some time? So my thinking there is, you must know Thailand has to be different and doesn't follow convention.  "You don't understand the Thai way", has long been the mantra if you have to have simple things explained.????

[ozimoron]

1 minute ago, MrJ2U said:

With a raging pandemic people aren't going to come.

That's right. I am in Adelaide atm and the annual Festival is dead. It doesn't matter that omicron is less dangerous than delta, the number of infections is keeping people away.

[Bkk Brian]

42 minutes ago, Dukeleto said:

Hmmm you are correct with regards to the previous variants but there is no current data that suggests the vaccines have any effect on omicron. In fact all the current reports suggests it does not. It was suggested by governments that people get themselves boosted in case it did have an effect on Omicron but there is no current data to suggest that it does. Of course people who are pro THIS vaccine will spin the lower death and serious cases in the direction of the vaccines but very early on South Africa where it spread initially they saw it had little affect on both the vaccinated and unvaccinated. My only concern is with the wildly transmissible Omicron to far far more people than the previous strains there is the distinct  possibility it could mutate again in the opposite direction from a mild form to a more deadlier form than delta! That prospect could really turn the world upside down and make the last two years seem like paradise! A prospect that I personally think will start wars across the planet. Orwellian I know but…

He is correct regards Omicron too. The vaccines are still doing a great job in protecting you from severe disease and death especially if you are boosted. Plenty of evidence for that. Along with Omicron being less virulent by around 25% then this is whats making it a disease that many countries are now classifying as endemic.

 

Personally I don't think/hope Omicron will mutate into a deadlier form. Perhaps an off shoot may become more transmissible similar to BA.2.

[MrJ2U]

1 minute ago, ozimoron said:

That's right. I am in Adelaide atm and the annual Festival is dead. It doesn't matter that omicron is less dangerous than delta, the number of infections is keeping people away.

Yes!

 

I'm second guessing if I should even go to the mall to pick up my pre-ordered Samsung Phone.

 

In rhis situation everyone needs to make an informed choice.

 

Once you get here there's not going to be much to do.  Also insurance will be much harder to get once numbers of infections get out of control.

[Surasak]

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

I was reading the article waiting for the part where it will say: Thailand should shut its borders and quarantine every tourists for 14 days with 5 PCR tests...

Yes. A golden opportunity missed there!

[10baht]

6 hours ago, smedly said:

omicron spreads there is nothing can be done to stop it -

Yes look at Zero tolerance Hong Kong. And China is next. What goes around comes around.????

[lks7689]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

Where did you come up with your statement that the 90 million vaccines that are useless?  Vaccines help to keep those who do get infected from becoming seriously ill and may have assisted the Queen of England to just have come down with a minor case instead of a deadly one....stop with your misinformation as the vaccines have proven useful.

Never mind those people. Personally I think the vaccine helped in my recovery. I tested positive on 31 Jan. Had a splitting headache with fever of 38.5 for three days. Tested negative on day 7. Not something I call mild. Am still having elevated blood pressure and lower back ache, not to mention cough still today. I'm triple vaxxed(all moderna). My colleague(2 Pfizer and moderna booster) who tested positive three days before me still experience loss of scent and taste now, as well as cough. We are both in early 40s.

[stevecarteraus]

not at all scientific, but a few girls I have met here say that when they test positive they just go to their room for a few days until negative. I'm betting the numbers are already very high and the reported cases the proverbial tip of the iceberg.

[Train]

Welcome to flu season.  I'd say those numbers are already here. I personally know 8 people right now through Rapid antigen test who are positive with covid and will not appear on any official numbers

[NanLaew]

6 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Guess the sky is the limit with Omicron.  It has been elsewhere, but as quickly as it went up elsewhere it went downwards.  However, from when the first cases were found here in Thailand Omicron has not acted like it has elsewhere until just the past 5 days, so one has to ask themselves why?  What is so different about Thailand that the virus acts completely out of character before it takes off just like with Delta and the original strain.......

This is specifically the BA.2 variant of Omicron. It's the same one causing unexpected rises in Denmark and several other countries like Singapore. There's a fair amount of information on the 'net explaining the differences form 'regular' omicron. By all accounts working out what it can and can't do is still a work in progress.

 

https://en.ssi.dk/news/news/2022/omicron-variant-ba2-accounts-for-almost-half-of-all-danish-omicron-cases

[raccos21]

Nowadays, anybody can make predictions regarding the virus infection since it's all over the international news and media. 
The questions is, What’s the purpose of his six-digits infection prediction?

I don’t see how his six-digits prediction messages can be useful for the people it -- doesn’t serve any significant purpose.
As a medical expert he is supposed to tell people what to plan if the cases do increase; do the hospitals have enough medical supplies and rooms for those severe cases seeking for treatment? etc., instead of giving a prediction for the surge of the cases.

[NanLaew]

2 hours ago, FunkyDunky58 said:

So what? Omnicron is relatively harmless. Stop talking about infection rates and start talking about hospitalisations (I mean real ones not people that were already sick with something else). This is irresponsible scaremongering by someone that just wants his picture in the papers.

 

Not quite correct. He's not talking about closing the borders and another health crisis is he? The only people mentioning things like that are this forum's "usual suspects".

 

He's talking specifically about the omicron BA.2 variant. Whilst it seems to have a faster and higher rate of infection and work is ongoing on how it evades some detection and the effectiveness of vaccines, it does seem to have a low impact on the health of most people as the original omicron, especially in the vaccinated and boosted. Only the elderly and/or those with pre-existing conditions appear to be at higher risk.

 

The unvaccinated get what they deserve.

Edited February 21, 2022 by NanLaew

[chickin]

Sock puppet. 

[NorthernRyland]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

It has been perplexing and somehow appears Thailand is 'immune'..... 

Infection numbers, deaths too, have been subdued. I expected omicron to take off early January when the first few cases were detected in people coming in on test and go or whatever. We might be seeing it now, but where was it for a month? I was more perplexed many years ago when Covid was in its early days....we all knew Chinese had been wandering around in the country, some from Wuhan, but seemingly no infections, while Italy got stabbed in the heart by a returning workforce. (And from there all over Europe and onwards). 

The COVID impact was already so small you wouldn't know unless the media was constantly alerting you. Don't bother citing big numbers like 800,000 deaths until you put those into the various contexts which are required to understand their actual impact on daily life.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, ozimoron said:

That's right. I am in Adelaide atm and the annual Festival is dead. It doesn't matter that omicron is less dangerous than delta, the number of infections is keeping people away.

Could be worse, you could be in Perth.

 

They are in for a world of woe with the same restrictions that the rest of the world has gone through (and already mostly repealed) being introduced early next month. That's over two years after the pandemic started. While the rest of the world stopped kicking the 'zero Covid' can down the road, WA claimed they were "free" to do what they wanted. Now there will be more masks, caps on attendances and public gatherings and 4m spacing between tables in pubs and restos. Progress!

 

Be careful who you vote for.

Edited February 21, 2022 by NanLaew

[ebean001]

Since people can test at home and the virus has little impact on their well being for 2 or 3 days, I assume the number rinfected is xx times more. What is xx? Something tells me that number is very big. Also, the illness is so mild, many get the virus and do not know it. 

[ozimoron]

11 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Could be worse, you could be in Perth.

 

They are in for a world of woe with the same restrictions that the rest of the world has gone through (and already mostly repealed) being introduced early next month. That's over two years after the pandemic started. While the rest of the world stopped kicking the 'zero Covid' can down the road, WA claimed they were "free" to do what they wanted. Now there will be more masks, caps on attendances and public gatherings and 4m spacing between tables in pubs and restos. Progress!

 

Be careful who you vote for.

The point is that the government can open up all it likes but the people will stay away if there are many cases so the government there is doing the right thing. Opening up has had a reverse effect to what was intended because the offline economy is now worse than ever since covid began despite opening up. It isn't about "freedoms", it's about reducing infections. Reducing infections is the only thing that will save the economy

[Jimbo2014]

32 deaths from covid today.  It will be another 120 from excess sugar (Diabetes and High blood glucose), 80 from road accidents, about 90 from pollution (at least).  Just sayin