Covid Count Reaches Around 2,800-3,889 A Day In Thailand

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

I follow the western news.. It is more clear and reliable than THai news...and no mask for me anymore, in Thailand it is not a must..

 

The US CDC and the WHO both recommend face mask wear for various populations in various settings. Hope you're paying attention!

 

"Masks can help protect you and others from COVID-19....

Layered prevention strategies — like staying up to date on vaccines and wearing masks — can help prevent severe illness and reduce the potential for strain on the healthcare system. Wear a mask with the best fit, protection, and comfort for you."

 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/about-face-coverings.html

 

So does the World Health Organization:

Masks continue to be a key tool against COVID-19

"WHO continues to recommend the use of masks by the public in specific situations, and this update recommends their use irrespective of the local epidemiological situation, given the current spread of the COVID-19 globally. Masks are recommended following a recent exposure to COVID-19, when someone has or suspects they have COVID-19, when someone is at high-risk of severe COVID-19, and for anyone in a crowded, enclosed, or poorly ventilated space. Previously, WHO recommendations were based on the epidemiological situation."

 

https://www.who.int/news/item/13-01-2023-who-updates-covid-19-guidelines-on-masks--treatments-and-patient-care

 

 

[edwardandtubs]

6 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

The authors of The Conversation article are all scientists explaining the science of why the claims that anti-maskers have made based on the Cochrane article are overstated and without credible foundation.

 

That's the nature of scientific debate. A group of leading scientists publish an article and another group disagree with them. And you expect people to wear a mask for the rest of their lives on that basis?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 minute ago, edwardandtubs said:

That's the nature of scientific debate. A group of leading scientists publish an article and another group disagree with them. And you expect people to wear a mask for the rest of their lives on that basis?

You're continuing to overstate and misrepresent just what the Cochrane article authors concluded.

 

Pay attention to their actual conclusions:

 

 

 

Edited February 14, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[edwardandtubs]

1 minute ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

You're continuing to overstate and misrepresent just what the Cochrane article authors concluded.

 

In what way have I "overstated" and "misrepresented" it?

 

And I notice you dodged my question. Do you expect people to wear masks for the rest of their lives?

[ViajeroLA]

5 minutes ago, edwardandtubs said:

That's the nature of scientific debate. A group of leading scientists publish an article and another group disagree with them. And you expect people to wear a mask for the rest of their lives on that basis?

You can't argue with maskers, I'm afraid. ???? They just believe in all this <deleted>. Sometimes I wonder, what if they'd picked any normal human talisman like an amulet, etc.. ? Would we all be in their cult? 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Just now, edwardandtubs said:

In what way have I "overstated" and "misrepresented" it?

 

And I notice you dodged my question. Do you expect people to wear masks for the rest of their lives?

 

1. Portraying the Cochrane article as some kind of proof that face mask wearing doesn't help prevent COVID, when the authors themselves (as quoted above) explain in their Conclusions section that their findings have serious limitations with low confidence level and may not be correct.

 

"There is uncertainty about the effects of face masks. The low to moderate certainty of evidence means our confidence in the effect estimate is limited, and that the true effect may be different from the observed estimate of the effect."

 

And further:

 

"Key messages
We are uncertain whether wearing masks or N95/P2 respirators helps to slow the spread of respiratory viruses based on the studies we assessed."

 

2. As for the future, I guess that's going to depend on the future.... the future path of the virus, the future of vaccines, the future of available treatment medications, etc etc. I'm not a fortune teller.

 

[ikke1959]

15 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

The US CDC and the WHO both recommend face mask wear for various populations in various settings. Hope you're paying attention!

 

"Masks can help protect you and others from COVID-19....

Layered prevention strategies — like staying up to date on vaccines and wearing masks — can help prevent severe illness and reduce the potential for strain on the healthcare system. Wear a mask with the best fit, protection, and comfort for you."

 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/about-face-coverings.html

 

So does the World Health Organization:

Masks continue to be a key tool against COVID-19

"WHO continues to recommend the use of masks by the public in specific situations, and this update recommends their use irrespective of the local epidemiological situation, given the current spread of the COVID-19 globally. Masks are recommended following a recent exposure to COVID-19, when someone has or suspects they have COVID-19, when someone is at high-risk of severe COVID-19, and for anyone in a crowded, enclosed, or poorly ventilated space. Previously, WHO recommendations were based on the epidemiological situation."

 

https://www.who.int/news/item/13-01-2023-who-updates-covid-19-guidelines-on-masks--treatments-and-patient-care

 

 

So what is your point??  of course use your brains in mask wearing.. that is what is written.. not alone sitting on a motorbike or in a car...and wih almost no cases anymore .....up to you...

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

So what is your point??  of course use your brains in mask wearing.. that is what is written.. not alone sitting on a motorbike or in a car...and wih almost no cases anymore .....up to you...

I'm pretty sure I've never advocated face mask wear when sometime is sitting alone in a car or on a motorbike.

 

But there are plenty of others here who think people should never wear face masks....  Those are the ones that I, and mainstream public health advice, disagree with.

 

 

Edited February 14, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[edwardandtubs]

12 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

1. Portraying the Cochrane article as some kind of proof that face mask wearing doesn't help prevent COVID, when the authors themselves (as quoted above) explain in their Conclusions section that their findings have serious limitations with low confidence level and may not be correct.

 

"There is uncertainty about the effects of face masks. The low to moderate certainty of evidence means our confidence in the effect estimate is limited, and that the true effect may be different from the observed estimate of the effect."

 

And further:

 

"Key messages
We are uncertain whether wearing masks or N95/P2 respirators helps to slow the spread of respiratory viruses based on the studies we assessed."

 

2. As for the future, I guess that's going to depend on the future.... the future path of the virus, the future of vaccines, the future of available treatment medications, etc etc. I'm not a fortune teller.

 

You seem to struggle with interpreting scientific articles. All scientific studies have limitations. It's totally normal and a section on limitations is found in all articles. All I did was quote the main findings of the study, hardly "overstating" and "misrepresenting".

 

 

Edited February 14, 2023 by edwardandtubs

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Again, the Cochrane article isn't any original research... its authors are merely synthesizing the findings of dozens of prior studies measuring all kinds of different things, including a lot of studies done before COVID ever surfaced.

 

The Conversation article cited above explains why the Cochrane conclusions, even as limited and caveated as they were by those authors, are not very meaningful or reliable on the subject of face mask wear.

 

As the Cochrane authors explained, a lot of the studies they included in their reporting pre-dated COVID entirely:

 

"We included 11 new RCTs and cluster‐RCTs (610,872 participants) in this update, bringing the total number of RCTs to 78. Six of the new trials were conducted during the COVID‐19 pandemic

...

We identified four ongoing studies, of which one is completed, but unreported, evaluating masks concurrent with the COVID‐19 pandemic.

 

Many studies were conducted during non‐epidemic influenza periods. Several were conducted during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, and others in epidemic influenza seasons up to 2016. Therefore, many studies were conducted in the context of lower respiratory viral circulation and transmission compared to COVID‐19."

 

https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD006207.pub6/full

 

 

 

[BayArea]

Stay updated on the latest covid reports and be safe. 

Edited February 14, 2023 by BayArea

[ikke1959]

46 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I'm pretty sure I've never advocated face mask wear when sometime is sitting alone in a car or on a motorbike.

 

But there are plenty of others here who think people should never wear face masks....  Those are the ones that I, and mainstream public health advice, disagree with.

 

 

yes. I understand... but wearing a mask is up to the person him/herself....if there is no need why do it? There is almost no dangerous Covid anymore for most people and the Covid causes, when you get it , less  illness than 2 years back.... Most people don't even know they have it.. so why wear a mask?? Before Covid there was no mask wearing too and there is TBC which is dangerous, and even the normal flu... So why not back to normal???Why keep on?? explain please

Edited February 14, 2023 by ikke1959

[DavisH]

7 hours ago, Mad mick said:

99%

lol..closer to 1% I suspect...3-4K "estimated" cases a day is almost nothing and I bet the regular flu has more cases. 

[DavisH]

49 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I'm pretty sure I've never advocated face mask wear when sometime is sitting alone in a car or on a motorbike.

 

But there are plenty of others here who think people should never wear face masks....  Those are the ones that I, and mainstream public health advice, disagree with.

 

 

Given th low number of cases in Thailand at the moment, I don't  see a case for marge scale mask wearing. Ok, for those immuno-compromised or the elderly. But for most people, no. Mask wearing rates haven't change a lot, and cases continue to decrease. We went though large waves with mask wearing rates the same. Waves will come and go regardless of future waves. Omicron is at communicable as measles. No regular mask will be significantly effective in reducing its spread. I've not worn a mask outside / in shops for a couple of months - people go maskless in packed restaurants, night clubs are full....yet covid rates are low. But the psychological damage caused by government's responses to the pandemic linger.  

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 minute ago, DavisH said:

lol..closer to 1% I suspect...3-4K "estimated" cases a day is almost nothing and I bet the regular flu has more cases. 

How Do COVID-19’s Annual Deaths and Mortality Rate Compare to the Flu’s?

 

Updated on October 13, 2022

 

"COVID-19 is more deadly than the flu.

...

Going strictly by the numbers, COVID-19 is still claiming around 400 lives per day in the U.S., which is roughly 3 times as many as the flu. A recent report used death certificate data and found COVID-19 to be four times as deadly as the flu in England and Wales.
 

The data are also pretty clear on who’s most affected. About 75% of people who have died due to COVID-19 were 65 years old and older."

 

https://www.goodrx.com/conditions/covid-19/flu-vs-coronavirus-mortality-and-death-rates-by-year

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Just now, DavisH said:

Given th low number of cases in Thailand at the moment, I don't  see a case for marge scale mask wearing. Ok, for those immuno-compromised or the elderly.

 

I myself am age 60+, so I'm in the higher risk group for negative COVID outcomes, should I become infected. Because of that, I handle my behaviors accordingly.

 

Overall, I'd guess that a large majority of the posters here on this forum are in one or more of the higher/high risk groups for bad COVID outcomes, based on age, chronic health conditions, overweight, etc. Those folks have good reason to take precautions.

 

 

[connda]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

Wearing a face mask correctly greatly reduces the risk of catching Covid-19, he added.

No it doesn't.  People I saw at Big C today looked like horse with 'nose-bags.'  Everyone is so psychologically damaged that they will wear masks the rest of their lives.  Mission accomplished. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

5 minutes ago, connda said:

No it doesn't.  People I saw at Big C today looked like horse with 'nose-bags.'  Everyone is so psychologically damaged that they will wear masks the rest of their lives.  Mission accomplished. 

Your "psychological damage" claim for those who wear face masks is unproven and unsubstantiated rubbish, which as usual, you have no credible source for.

 

People have been wearing face masks in Asia long before COVID came along, including in Thailand in recent years because of very bad seasonal air pollution.

 

If they continue to wear them now because of concerns about COVID, or whatever other reason they may have, more power to them.

 

[still kicking]

35 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

I myself am age 60+, so I'm in the higher risk group for negative COVID outcomes, should I become infected. Because of that, I handle my behaviors accordingly.

 

Overall, I'd guess that a large majority of the posters here on this forum are in one or more of the higher/high risk groups for bad COVID outcomes, based on age, chronic health conditions, overweight, etc. Those folks have good reason to take precautions.

 

 

Now I am in the west now live in a city of over 2 million and nobody wears a mask anymore. 

We had just 60 infections in the past week. I am in the danger group I am 75 I am not an anti vaccer I had my 4 jabs also my yearly flu shot but haven't worn a mask for ages. Twice a year I travel to Thailand and also don't wear a mask not one of my Thai friends do, just a few kids 4-6 years old wear the chin warmers so I guess it is time to let go of them. 

 

[spidermike007]

11 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

There is no more "mask mandate" in Thailand.

 

But people who want to reduce their risk of catching COVID and potential illness from it do tend to follow the suggestions for the general public from the WHO and CDC, among others, to wear good quality face masks in indoor areas when close around other people.

It has been established that the common cotton, or surgical mask that 99% use, is of minor effect when it comes to catching covid. It does help to prevent transmission of illness, a little bit. 

[JensenZ]

16 hours ago, Robert Tyrrell said:

 

Theres an old saying in America ????????

A fool and his money ???? Will soon part ways from each other , The mighty Baht over Health and Safety !!!  VERY STUPID AND SAD Thailand !! 

 

It's not an old American saying, and the standard English is: "A fool and his money are soon parted". It originates from the Book of Proverbs, 700 BC, so it is a bit older than modern America.

Edited February 14, 2023 by JensenZ

[AgentSmith]

16 hours ago, Robert Tyrrell said:

Hello ,

 

Truly a big mistake Thailand , With all the issues China ???????? Has had your allowing entry with no testing or vaccination proof is most STUPID !! 55.6 % increase in infections compared to last week !! That’s almost a 60% increase compared to last week.

Theres an old saying in America ????????

A fool and his money ???? Will soon part ways from each other , The mighty Baht over Health and Safety !!!  VERY STUPID AND SAD Thailand !! 

 

It can't be stressed enough that no artifical border keeps out a virus. When there's a new more potent variant it will reach us all eventually. At this point there's no reason to stay protectionist. The cat's out of the bag. The genie's out of the bottle. No point in hiding anymore. We just gotta accept it's everywhere now. There are worse problems to deal with in this world.

[jacko45k]

14 hours ago, stoner said:

well thats a relief considering most of the masks worn here are not good quality. 

They are far better than they were in the early stages..... I have noticed as they pass me on the escalators...... also you see a few people doubling up. The common white ones seem to be more fitted so there is less chance of them sliding down and incorporate a shaped design keeping the nose covered. I have stopped using them myself.... but if I took a trip to Bangkok, and was on the Skytrain and bus, probably best to have one handy. 

[stoner]

7 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

People have been wearing face masks in Asia long before COVID came along, including in Thailand in recent years because of very bad seasonal air pollution.

this old chestnut again eh. the number of people wearing masks pre covid was not even a few percent of the population. 

 

this can easily be proven by a quick search on youtube. a simple look through the thousands of videos of bkk and thailand pre covid will show you that most were NOT wearing a mask. i would say it was over 98 percent of all people did NOT wear a mask.

 

yes a few people wore masks pre covid but lets not pretend it was a big percent of the population and that it was normal.

[ThailandRyan]

10 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

yes. I understand... but wearing a mask is up to the person him/herself....if there is no need why do it? There is almost no dangerous Covid anymore for most people and the Covid causes, when you get it , less  illness than 2 years back.... Most people don't even know they have it.. so why wear a mask?? Before Covid there was no mask wearing too and there is TBC which is dangerous, and even the normal flu... So why not back to normal???Why keep on?? explain please

Yet it is still dangerous for unvaccinated and those elderly who have been vaccinated. Not saying wear a mask all day and forever, but when out and about in a crowded location using common sense and having one available is not a hard thing to do, except for those that bow there backs, are anti markers and anti vaxxers.

 

My doctors offices here in Thailand request that you wear one while inside, but it's not mandatory, it's common sense.

[ThailandRyan]

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

They are far better than they were in the early stages..... I have noticed as they pass me on the escalators...... also you see a few people doubling up. The common white ones seem to be more fitted so there is less chance of them sliding down and incorporate a shaped design keeping the nose covered. I have stopped using them myself.... but if I took a trip to Bangkok, and was on the Skytrain and bus, probably best to have one handy. 

That right there is common sense.

[ikke1959]

36 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Yet it is still dangerous for unvaccinated and those elderly who have been vaccinated. Not saying wear a mask all day and forever, but when out and about in a crowded location using common sense and having one available is not a hard thing to do, except for those that bow there backs, are anti markers and anti vaxxers.

 

My doctors offices here in Thailand request that you wear one while inside, but it's not mandatory, it's common sense.

I agree.. If I go to the hospital or doctor I wear one... because there will be sick people..but when I go to the Big C in the morning or eveing when there is almost nobody there I don't wear .. Common sense..I always have one in my pocket just in case or if there are Chinese ,...

Edited February 15, 2023 by ikke1959

[stoner]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

it's common sense.

did you also wear a mask going into the doctors office in the 40 years previous to covid ? 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

10 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

It has been established that the common cotton, or surgical mask that 99% use, is of minor effect when it comes to catching covid. It does help to prevent transmission of illness, a little bit. 

 

And your source for that claim is???

 

You think that today, even in the time of Omicron, that the US CDC and the WHO both recommend people wear face masks because they don't work?

 

Edited February 15, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[unblocktheplanet]

On 2/14/2023 at 3:00 PM, Bkk Brian said:

This finding actually underscores the importance of staying up-to-date on boosters."

We're all sooo bored of boosters. And do we now have to pay for vax? If it's free, there may be takers. If it costs, those numbers will go up. Covid isn't finished with us yet.