Songkran and Risk to the Elders

[webfact]

 

Article by Silada Rojratanakiat

 

Earlier, terms like "cluster" and "super-spreader" may cause dread and disgrace in those connected with them. Now, people are fatigued and do not care. Weary of social distancing, everyone wants to go back to their everyday lives.

 

Anxiety, loneliness, and defeatist attitude now cause people to be less afraid of joining a new cluster or becoming a super-spreader. The new mindset stems from an assumption that contracting COVID-19 will not be a serious concern for most people. Since the Songkran Festival is coming up next month, most people have already prepared to participate in celebratory feasts and recharge their batteries during this wonderful season of family reunion.

 

People, especially young adults, may no longer care if they are the next spreader or a new cluster member. However, it is not simply that. It is also about putting the lives of family elders in danger. Although people of all ages are at risk of contracting COVID-19, older people are at a higher risk of developing severe illness owing to physiological changes associated with aging and possible underlying health issues.

 

According to the Thai Department of Disease Control, due to the highly transmissible Omicron strain, daily infections around Songkran may reach 50,000 per day, and seniors have the most significant mortality risk from this virus. Indeed, no one wants their beloved elderly relatives to be one of those cases.

 

Elders are in danger

 

The most important thing to understand is that COVID-19 mortality rates are influenced by vaccination status. Because unvaccinated individuals are more likely to die, mortality rates by vaccination status give a more realistic picture than the absolute number of deaths among vaccinated and unvaccinated people.

 

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According to a statement from Thailand’s Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration, 75% (928 patients) of COVID-19 deaths happened among adults aged 60 and above in the first two months of 2022. 60% (557 patients) of those elders were not immunized. 8% had already gotten their first shots (77 patients), while 29% had already received their second injections (271 patients). The remaining 2% got booster jabs (23 patients).

 

As a result, the mortality rate for unvaccinated elderly people is 257 people per million people. This is the death rate for 2.17 million seniors over the age of 60 who are still not receiving any shot in the country.

 

Vaccinate your family today to celebrate Songkran with them next month

 

Giving seniors a second injection reduces the risk of infection-related death by up to six times. The rate offered by the booster injection is considerably better, as the booster dosage reduces the mortality risk by up to 41 times. A senior who gets an extra dose is 68% less likely to get a viral infection and 96% less likely to get a severe illness, be in the hospital, or die from the virus.

 

Seniors who have not been vaccinated should do so as soon as possible. Those who have already received the first jab should keep their appointments for the second doses, and those who had their second shots three months ago should register to get their boosters. As it takes about a month for the vaccine to properly build the body’s immunity, now is the ideal time to give the seniors their booster doses before relatives come to visit them during Songkran, when the transmission of the virus is expected to rise due to people traveling.

 

A ticket to a Songkran celebration with family

 

Although vaccines are reasonably effective, keep in mind that they are not perfect. They certainly make individuals immune, but they do not make people invincible. COVID-19 vaccine is a protection, not a license to do anything. Wearing masks, hand-washing, and proper social distancing are other necessary steps to minimize risk and give families more confidence to participate in Songkran activities. Nonetheless, people should relish the anticipation of the day when they and their loved ones will be vaccinated because the risks of being together will be extremely low, and the benefits to mental health will be enormous.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2022-03-10

 

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[chilly07]

Songran for me consists of one day with the family washing and anointing  Bhudas and if I am unlucky becoming the designated elder to also be annointed. Then for the remainder of the 2w (Pattaya) avoiding crowds especially those from Bangkok who come in their droves as Songran is restricted in Bangkok. I wish they would get stuck in Bang Saen where full width 3 lane parking on beach road stymies them.

[PETERTHEEATER]

The biggest danger to elders are the lumps of ice hurled from pickup trucks in motion......

[connda]

17 hours ago, webfact said:

Anxiety, loneliness, and defeatist attitude now cause people to be less afraid of joining a new cluster or becoming a super-spreader. The new mindset stems from an assumption that contracting COVID-19 will not be a serious concern for most people.

Very effective propaganda campaign has literally left emotional carnage in its wake in the majority of the population.

How many people have never been effected?  Not many, and yet those few like myself - many of whom contracted Covid and got over it - don't suffer emotional problems.  Yet so many of the population do.  I've watched grown adults freak out and completely lose it when they come into proximity of someone else who is even wearing a mask.  The guy at a photo shop we used to go to screamed - Shrieked is more apt - when my fully masked wife and I approached the room he was it.  "AHHHH. GET OUT!"  We calming asked what was wrong and he starts screaming about Covid. He lost our business.  The guy at the photo shop next to his doesn't suffer from fear of Covid.
I guess the dirty farang with my wife must have scared him.  But there is the perfect example of someone traumatized for life.  Over the next few year large segments of the population will be dealing with Covid PTSD imho.
I just find it immensely sad.  And the government is going to keep the fear mongering unabated telling people and young adults that they are bad dirty people and all potential super-spreaders. 

An entire population psychologically damaged.  Just sad as it is needless.

Well I'm a 70 year old Puu Sung Ayu this year.  The young people in our village are welcome to come to our house and pay respects it everyone else are fear stricken. 
I'd never guilt trip another human being for catching a transmissible disease like flu, a cold, or even dengue.  Guilt tripping people is perverse. Flus, colds, and dengue are just facts of life and getting sick on occasion is just part and parcel with being a member of the animal kingdom.  Really - need to assign blame?  Blame it on God if you need to find fault.

[Will B Good]

I see covid19 infections in the over 50's in the UK is actually increasing at the moment........the theory is that immunity is wearing off already.......!!!