Why were 20% of the Thai population not infected with COVID-19?

[webfact]

 

Virologists have been trying to identify why 20% of the Thai population have not been infected with COVID-19, despite being in close contact with the infected or at high risk of becoming infected, according to Dr. Yong Poovorawan, head of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at the Faculty of Medicine of Chulalongkorn University.

 

Blood tests and background checks (excluding on those under two) show that about 20% have not been infected. These people, known collectively as “Novid”, were in close contact with family members or fellow office workers who were infected, but they remained free from the virus, he said.

 

Some of this group might have taken serious precautionary measures, which saved them from becoming infected, but there were others who were exposed to many infected people, yet they were not infected, said Dr. Yong, and we need to find out why.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/why-were-20-of-the-thai-population-not-infected-with-covid-19/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-03-28

 

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[ThailandRyan]

How do they personally know that 20% did not have Covid?  Did they ask everyone in the country to identify themselves as possibly having Covid but did not report to the hospital or a clinic and instead just stayed home and weathered the virus out.  I know from my own personal experience and then having contact with others who had covid, we never called or visited a hospital or sought treatment, but instead stayed home until we tested negative by using the self testing RAT tests.

[Joe Farang]

They probably used the 80/20 rule due to lack of data.

[richard_smith237]

As ThailandRyan indicates... this is an ‘impossible to know’ statistic.

 

How many times have ‘we’ had Covid-19 without knowing it ?

Certainly, I’ve had the snivels a couple of times this year and suspected my may have a mild variant. 

 

How many people would lose money if they have to avoid work if they have a mild case Covid-19 ? - surely there are many many people who if the have a mild case will just keep quiet about it. 

 

Then there is the additional facet that the fear of god was put into many people that they’d be isolated and forced into camps / halls etc to quarantine - thus many may have just kept quiet. 

 

 

 

[KhunLA]

interesting numbers ... meaning a few more than the 4,728,632 reported case, which is more believable than <5 mill infected. 

 

66 million X 80% = 52,800,000 cases

 

Also, means, chance of dying from, far less than reported, also much more believable as chance of dying was very low anyway, unless already aged & having health issues.

 

I practiced social distancing only, so may or may not have been infected.   Did have a runny nose, and a symptom of one of the latest strains, and something I never have.

 

Seems everyone has had covid, new badge of honor, even though masked & vax'd, that other badge of honor.

 

and yet ... well, you figure it out, as wasted too many brain cells just with this reply to point out the obvious.

[John Drake]

I was never infected that I know of, at least no symptoms. Plenty of people around me were. Why? Maybe because I took the Chinese vaccine. 555

[dinsdale]

Misleading headline. This is only a sample but I would be suprised if only 80% had been infected.. Some didn't get infected, some were asymptomatic, some had minor symptoms, some had severe symptoms and some died. Some reported and some didn't. No idea when this figure comes from but I would suggest that a figure of around 100% exposure would be close to the mark now. Omicron is super infectious, endemic and not life threatening to the majority of people. For me I tested positive for 10 days, wasn't too good on day zero, better day 1 and pretty much all over by day 3 except for extreme bouts of tiredness.

[edwinchester]

Wifey and our 4 year old daughter both had covid in March of last year and despite normal family contact and sharing a long car journey I kept on testing negative. Wifey had no symptoms at all but tested +ve for about 10 days. Daughter ran a very high temperature for just over a day but it broke very quickly and she was back to normal after about 36 hours.

Both wifey and I were fully vaccinated at the time.

I've never had an antibody test so no idea if I had it and tested negative or if I escaped infection.

[NoDisplayName]

Don't know why they cut the last two paragraphs of the article.  Seems like important information.....

 

Quote

Dr. Yong said that virologists are focusing their studies on the genetic makeup of “Novid” people, citing cases of the people who have a particular genetic makeup which makes them immune to HIV.

 

“We don’t know yet whether there are genes that resist COVID-19 and their mechanism or the immunity was caused by vaccination,” said the virologist, adding that it is possible that members of the “Novid” group who were infected did not develop any symptoms or their infection could not be detected by current testing methods.

 

[onthedarkside]

Troll post removed

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

There is research going on in the West as to whether genetic or other factors provided natural immunity to COVID for some people... Doesn't sound like they have figured it out yet.

 

Are some people immune to COVID-19?

Association of American Medical Colleges

January 19, 2023

...

"Strickland is among hundreds of people in numerous countries who are enrolled in lab studies to determine if genetic anomalies have protected them from contracting the virus or neutralized it before it could make them sick. They include frontline health workers and people who interacted closely with COVID-stricken relatives at home.

 

“There are numerous examples of couples in which one partner got seriously ill, and the spouse was taking care of them yet did not get infected,” says András Spaan, MD, PhD, a clinical microbiologist at the St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases at The Rockefeller University in New York."

 

https://www.aamc.org/news-insights/are-some-people-immune-covid-19

 

But, as the article explains, the future road on this is uncertain. Because, for example, researchers back in the mid 1990s found a man who was medically immune to AIDS... And yet here we are 30 years later, and no medical solution to provide population-level immunity to AIDS.

 

"If genetic variations can make people immune or resistant to COVID-19, it remains to be seen how that knowledge can be used to create population-level protection. After all, while the discovery nearly three decades ago that some people have genetic immunity to HIV helped scientists develop post-infection treatments, there is still no vaccine to prevent infection."

 

 

 

Edited March 28, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Denim]

My theory. 

 

A lot of alcoholics in that 20%.

 

None of the pissheads in our village got covid and neither did I despite wife having it and us still sleeping together.

 

Too much alcohol in the blood killing the virus. Purely anecdotal of course.

 

I have another theory about the Brontosaurus but am currently in litigation with another who is claiming it as her own.

[sandyf]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

How do they personally know that 20% did not have Covid?

The don't, statistical assessment and there appears to be some basis for it.

Two weeks ago my wife's brother, his wife and his sister went up to CM, a 12 hour drive, to see their daughter at uni for about 4 days. While there they met some old friends and daughters friends from uni. 

On the return journey the wife felt ill and the following morning tested positive for covid, neither the brother or the sister have tested positive since returning.

I would have thought that 12 hours in the same vehicle would have almost guaranteed infection, but apparently not.

 

During the pandemic neither the brother or the sister became infected as far as they know but the wife tested positive on more than one occasion.

[KhunLA]

14 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

There is research going on in the West as to whether genetic or other factors provided natural immunity to COVID for some people... Doesn't sound like they have figured it out yet.

 

Are some people immune to COVID-19?

Association of American Medical Colleges

January 19, 2023

...

"Strickland is among hundreds of people in numerous countries who are enrolled in lab studies to determine if genetic anomalies have protected them from contracting the virus or neutralized it before it could make them sick. They include frontline health workers and people who interacted closely with COVID-stricken relatives at home.

 

“There are numerous examples of couples in which one partner got seriously ill, and the spouse was taking care of them yet did not get infected,” says András Spaan, MD, PhD, a clinical microbiologist at the St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases at The Rockefeller University in New York."

 

https://www.aamc.org/news-insights/are-some-people-immune-covid-19

 

But, as the article explains, the future road on this is uncertain. Because, for example, researchers back in the mid 1990s found a man who was medically immune to AIDS... And yet here we are 30 years later, and no medical solution to provide population-level immunity to AIDS.

 

"If genetic variations can make people immune or resistant to COVID-19, it remains to be seen how that knowledge can be used to create population-level protection. After all, while the discovery nearly three decades ago that some people have genetic immunity to HIV helped scientists develop post-infection treatments, there is still no vaccine to prevent infection."

Interesting stuff ...

... research into why people don't show symptoms (maybe immune) to one of the mildest version of a virus on the planet, that other people have died from.

 

Reads like a money grab to me.  As if they haven't made enough billions of $$$ already.

 

The only regret they have, is they didn't think of doing that with the common cold & flu or pneumonia already.   Surely they'll make up for those loss opportunities.

[h90]

Not that it was discussed from the very beginning, that people had other Corona viruses and there can be cross-immunity in some people. That was a lot discussed on how many people may have that and if it protects against getting or only against getting very ill....
Looking back all the things that Dr. Yong posted on Facebook....not turned out as he predicted (to say it in a friendly way).

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Virologists have been trying to identify why 20% of the Thai population have not been infected with COVID-19,

They were the smart ones?

Of which I am proud to say I am one of them.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

15 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

research into why people don't show symptoms (maybe immune) to one of the mildest version of a virus on the planet, that other people have died from.

Nearly 7 million "official" COVID deaths around the world in the past three-plus years -- and the real number likely double that or more according to experts -- isn't enough for you? That's your version of "mild"?

 

"Globally, as of 6:06pm CET, 21 March 2023, there have been 761,071,826 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 6,879,677 deaths, reported to WHO."

 

https://covid19.who.int/

 

Edited March 28, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[KhunLA]

10 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Nearly 7 million "official" COVID deaths around the world in the past three-plus years -- and the real number likely double that or more according to experts -- isn't enough for you? That's your version of "mild"?

 

"Globally, as of 6:06pm CET, 21 March 2023, there have been 761,071,826 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 6,879,677 deaths, reported to WHO."

 

https://covid19.who.int/

 

58 million people die every year, that they know about ... got to die of something.  It nature, and expected, especially when old & unhealthy to begin with.

 

The 58 million dying isn't a problem.

The 146 million being born, now that's a problem.

Edited March 28, 2023 by KhunLA

[thesetat]

When Covid was at its worst. Not all Thais were tested regularly to know if they had gotten Covid. Not all Thais went to be checked at hospitals to know if they got Covid. Many hid at home for fear of knowing for sure they were infected or for fear they would be infected. I know so many who were sick with Covid and never reported to the governing agencies or to any hospitals or clinics that they got infected. My ex GF worked at a factory where Covid spread rampantly. Yet all they did was close for a week to spray. Not a single worker there was tested or reported to any hospital or clinic. This was only in a small area in Bangkok so one can assume it happened throughout the country this way as well. Numbers of infected must be known the same way TAT gets their figures. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

4 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

58 million people die every year, that they know about ... got to die of something.  It nature, and expected, especially when old & unhealthy to begin with.

 

Yes, but there has been much research done on the volume of "excess deaths" related to COVID -- those above and beyond what would be normal in any year. And the volume of those excess deaths is at least double the official COVID death count.

 

So your comment above about normal deaths is just a predictable attempted deflection attempting to minimize the true death toll from COVID.

 

14.9 million excess deaths associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021

 

"New estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that the full death toll associated directly or indirectly with the COVID-19 pandemic (described as “excess mortality”) between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021 was approximately 14.9 million (range 13.3 million to 16.6 million). 

 

“These sobering data not only point to the impact of the pandemic but also to the need for all countries to invest in more resilient health systems that can sustain essential health services during crises, including stronger health information systems,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General."

 

"Excess mortality is calculated as the difference between the number of deaths that have occurred and the number that would be expected in the absence of the pandemic based on data from earlier years. "

 

https://www.who.int/news/item/05-05-2022-14.9-million-excess-deaths-were-associated-with-the-covid-19-pandemic-in-2020-and-2021

 

 

 

 

[onthedarkside]

Off topic troll post removed

 

EDIT: Another troll post reported and removed making unsubstantiated claims

[h90]

34 minutes ago, thesetat said:

When Covid was at its worst. Not all Thais were tested regularly to know if they had gotten Covid. Not all Thais went to be checked at hospitals to know if they got Covid. Many hid at home for fear of knowing for sure they were infected or for fear they would be infected. I know so many who were sick with Covid and never reported to the governing agencies or to any hospitals or clinics that they got infected. My ex GF worked at a factory where Covid spread rampantly. Yet all they did was close for a week to spray. Not a single worker there was tested or reported to any hospital or clinic. This was only in a small area in Bangkok so one can assume it happened throughout the country this way as well. Numbers of infected must be known the same way TAT gets their figures. 

I was sick and got better again, never tested, might have been covid or might have been the flu. Wife same

[ukrules]

Perhaps it was prior immunity......think about that one for a bit.

 

They shouldn't dig too deep on this lest it leads them down a road they would rather not travel.

[spidermike007]

I am not a virologist, yet I know far more than 20% were not infected here, and worldwide. I also can presume it has alot to do with the immune system, diet, lifestyle, and many other factors. Do these guys even take any of this into account? Or, is their knowledge and wisdom so lacking? It is a virus. Not everyone gets a virus. Duh. 

[rattlesnake]

4 minutes ago, ukrules said:

Perhaps it was prior immunity......think about that one for a bit.

 

They shouldn't dig too deep on this lest it leads them down a road they would rather not travel.

Are you suggesting natural immunity works? Heretic!

[ukrules]

18 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

Are you suggesting natural immunity works? Heretic!

I don't think you have any idea what I'm suggesting.

[Purdey]

It did seem odd that while i tested positive, but without symptoms, her indoors was fit as a fiddle. I can't figure it out.

[Alidiver]

4 hours ago, John Drake said:

I was never infected that I know of, at least no symptoms. Plenty of people around me were. Why? Maybe because I took the Chinese vaccine. 555

After three years, you still haven't got it that the vaccine stopped you dying  it did not prevent you getting infected.

[StayinThailand2much]

Because they kept to themselves and avoided contact with others if possible? That's what I did, and I like to think that I never got Covid.

[CygnusX1]

4 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Nearly 7 million "official" COVID deaths around the world in the past three-plus years -- and the real number likely double that or more according to experts -- isn't enough for you? That's your version of "mild"?

It’s hard to get a feel for large numbers, so let’s take your high estimate of 14 million deaths, and divide it by the world’s population, near enough 8 billion. Gives us 0.00175.

Now multiply that by 30,000, population of my pretty sizeable town, and divide by 3 to get annual deaths of 17.

 

Now, how concerned would I be about a virus that was killing 17 people a year in my town, almost all being very elderly. Just a little, especially since I’m not too young myself. Concerned enough to get a course of vaccines? Sure, especially if that was free. Would I be happy with being compelled to wear a face mask, and not being allowed to drive more than 5km from my home? Absolutely not, that would be a ludicrously over-the-top, paranoid reaction. And yet…