UPDATE: Record high COVID-19 cases using antigen tests reported in Thailand on Thursday

[webfact]

 

New COVID-19 infections in the past 24 hours reached a new high of 42,138 using rapid antigen tests and 23,618 using RT-PCR tests, according to the COVID-19 Information Centre and Disease Control Department.

 

The official daily infection record high confirmed by RT-PCR tests was set last Friday at 24,932 but the number of positive cases found in rapid antigen tests (ATKs) awaiting RT-PCR confirmation did not exceed 30,000 a day until today.

 

The antigen figures have only been released by the authorities recently thanks to the prevalent use of the kits, in addition to the official RT-PCR positive cases.

 

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Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/record-high-covid-19-cases-using-antigen-tests-reported-in-thailand-on-thursday/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-03-03

 

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[TallGuyJohninBKK]

RED color denotes record high numbers for 2022.

 

 

RED color denotes record high numbers for 2022.

 

 

https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/?dashboard=main

 

For added context, during the peak of the Delta wave last fall, Thailand's daily COVID case count topped out at 23,418, but the numbers of serious hospital cases and intubated patients peaked above 5,600 and 1,100 respectively, and daily deaths topped 300 for a brief period.

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Quote

The official daily infection record high confirmed by RT-PCR tests was set last Friday at 24,932

The actual prior high for official cases confirmed by RT-PCR was set the next day on Feb. 26 at 25,615.

 

Feb. 26:

 

https://www.facebook.com/informationcovid19/posts/511077657177230

 

Feb. 25:

https://www.facebook.com/informationcovid19/posts/510461740572155

Edited March 3, 2022 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Also, kinda interesting that the Thai PBS article focuses on ATK test positives for the day (many of whom may have no or minor symptoms) reaching a record high, but not that deaths, serious condition COVID hospitalizations and various other COVID stats also reached their highest numbers yet for 2022.

 

I guess context is only important sometimes.

 

Edited March 3, 2022 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[internationalism]

So real number of infections is 55k and that's why daily perished count now over 40. 
They should think hard now about songkran and what situation will be after festivities. 
Right now they should warn if daily count of deaths is over 100 holiday will be postponed. 
that would be fair and rational, rather then the last seconds jerks 

Edited March 3, 2022 by internationalism

[realfunster]

18 minutes ago, internationalism said:

So real number of infections is 55k and that's why daily perished count now over 40. 
They should think hard now about songkran and what situation will be after festivities. 
Right now they should warn if daily count of deaths is over 100 holiday will be postponed. 
that would be fair and rational, rather then the last seconds jerks 

1) I would suggest that it is likely very much higher than that !

Some models (projecting % of tests giving a +ve to the wider population) have it in the hundreds of thousands a day...the UK reached this level during Omicron, I can't see why Thailand wouldn't also.

 

2) Most countries Omicron wave has peaked within 4-6 weeks. With the number fudging in LoS hard to say where we are, but I would estimate we are quite far into our Omicron wave by now. I recall reports that by end of January'22 Omicron was going to be >90% of all new infections, that's a month ago already. Accordingly, I anticipate we should be very much on the far side of the wave by the time Songkran comes around in 6 weeks. Of course, whether that means the Government starts relaxing restrictions, as in other places around the world, remains to be seen. 

Edited March 3, 2022 by realfunster
Typo

[ukrules]

1 hour ago, realfunster said:

1) I would suggest that it is likely very much higher than that !

Some models (projecting % of tests giving a +ve to the wider population) have it in the hundreds of thousands a day...the UK reached this level during Omicron, I can't see why Thailand wouldn't also.

 

2) Most countries Omicron wave has peaked within 4-6 weeks. With the number fudging in LoS hard to say where we are, but I would estimate we are quite far into our Omicron wave by now. I recall reports that by end of January'22 Omicron was going to be >90% of all new infections, that's a month ago already. Accordingly, I anticipate we should be very much on the far side of the wave by the time Songkran comes around in 6 weeks. Of course, whether that means the Government starts relaxing restrictions, as in other places around the world, remains to be seen. 

Yes, they've been doing their best to hide the numbers up until now.

 

I don't know why they do this but I suspect it's something to do with keeping the official numbers down below other South East Asian countries - so they look like they're doing a better job.

Something dumb and simple like that.

Edited March 3, 2022 by ukrules

[skorp13]

RT-PCR tests are much more accurate than the ATK rapid tests so why announce those numbers? The number of ATK tests are actually much higher if you think about all the home tests that no one reports. The hospitalization and death numbers are the ones that really count. Why panic over something that mostly isn't anything more than a bad cold or flu?

[ikke1959]

Death toll and hospializations or more important than PCR or ATK tests.. With PCR you don't even have to have symptons too as with the ATK test. Many people don't want to stay in  quarantaine so if they test positive in ATK they won't tell anyone..I know people who act like this...

[arithai12]

Deaths occur mostly weeks after infection, so to claim that it's a new record has nothing to do with today's number of infections. Also, the number itself doesn't mean much if they don't say whether the deceased was/was not vaxxed, how/when, age, pre-conditions, etc.

 

And number of detected infections, has little meaning if they don't tell us how many were the tests. Here's a prediction: double the tests and you will have a new record of infections.

 

 

 

 

 

[new2here]

8 hours ago, internationalism said:

So real number of infections is 55k and that's why daily perished count now over 40. 
They should think hard now about songkran and what situation will be after festivities. 
Right now they should warn if daily count of deaths is over 100 holiday will be postponed. 
that would be fair and rational, rather then the last seconds jerks 

I agree that Songkran is probably going to be problematic … but.. at THIS point in time, I think it’s too late to effectively reverse course and put in place some kind of restrictions… the political costs to the flip-flop would be massive ….  on the other hand, had they NOT yet made a statement about Songkran, THEN it would be easy … just continue on with whatever was in place… but now that something has effectively been “promised” I think it’s too late to go back without taking some serious political blowback or giving your political rivals ammunition to be used against you later on.

[rott]

15 hours ago, internationalism said:

Right now they should warn if daily count of deaths is over 100 holiday will be postponed. 
that would be fair and rational, rather then the last seconds jerks 

They have previously stated that if infections rise above 30,000 per day Songkran will be cancelled. 

[Danderman123]

14 hours ago, skorp13 said:

RT-PCR tests are much more accurate than the ATK rapid tests so why announce those numbers? The number of ATK tests are actually much higher if you think about all the home tests that no one reports. The hospitalization and death numbers are the ones that really count. Why panic over something that mostly isn't anything more than a bad cold or flu?

Maybe because of the thousands of people dying every day from this “bad cold”.