Thai Health Experts Alleviate Public Concerns About New Covid-19 Variant

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

And elsewhere in the world -- the below report seems to reflect a lot of COVID denying/deflecting posters here:

 

Covid is still a leading cause of death as the virus recedes

Millions of Americans gathered maskless in homes and houses of worship this month for Passover, Easter and Ramadan — the latest evidence that coronavirus has retreated from public view as the pandemic winds down.

 

But retreat is not the same thing as eradication: Federal health officials say that covid-19 remains one of the leading causes of death in the United States, tied to about 250 deaths daily, on average, mostly among the old and immunocompromised.

 

Few Americans are treating it as a leading killer, however — in part because they are not hearing about those numbers, don’t trust them or don’t see them as relevant to their own lives.

 

(more)

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2023/04/16/covid-deaths-per-day/

 

[dinsdale]

24 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

And elsewhere in the world -- the below report seems to reflect a lot of COVID denying/deflecting posters here:

 

Covid is still a leading cause of death as the virus recedes

Millions of Americans gathered maskless in homes and houses of worship this month for Passover, Easter and Ramadan — the latest evidence that coronavirus has retreated from public view as the pandemic winds down.

 

But retreat is not the same thing as eradication: Federal health officials say that covid-19 remains one of the leading causes of death in the United States, tied to about 250 deaths daily, on average, mostly among the old and immunocompromised.

 

Few Americans are treating it as a leading killer, however — in part because they are not hearing about those numbers, don’t trust them or don’t see them as relevant to their own lives.

 

(more)

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2023/04/16/covid-deaths-per-day/

 

Maybe this has something to do with it. Fat diabetic people hospitaslised / dying with covid.

Edited April 20, 2023 by dinsdale

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Interesting report in another thread....

 

The Thai government for months now has no longer publicly reported mere COVID cases...and instead only publicly reports  COVID hospitalizations,  which obviously are much lower stats than general cases....

 

But now we have this (again, COVID cases, not hospitalizations):

 

Temporary Covid-19 surge may result in 10,000 daily cases

 

A new wave of Covid-19 infections is expected to bring daily cases to 5,000-10,000, but a swift decline in numbers is predicted thereafter, according to Dr Nitipatana Chierakul, Head of the Respiratory Disease and Tuberculosis Division at the Faculty of Medicine in Siriraj Hospital.

 

In a statement on his Facebook page, Dr Nitipatana noted a rise in infections caused by the Omicron XBB.1.16 sub-variant but highlighted the majority of cases were mild. He explained that severe reactions were likely due to pre-existing health conditions. He said…

 

“During the new wave, daily cases are estimated at 5,000-10,000 patients, which is relatively low compared to last year. It is anticipated that cases will reduce within a few weeks.”

 

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/temporary-surge-may-result-in-10000-daily-cases-for-a-brief-period

 

Edited April 20, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

7 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Maybe this has something to do with it. Fat diabetic people hospitaslised / dying with covid.

So in your view, overweight people who die from COVID deserve it, because they became oveweight?

 

Last time I saw, the majority of the U.S. population is classified as overweight/obese.

 

"Roughly two out of three U.S. adults are overweight or obese (69 percent) and one out of three are obese (36 percent)."

 

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-trends-original/obesity-rates-worldwide/

 

PS - Obesity is only ONE of the various risk factors for bad COVID outcomes... Advanced age alone is probably the largest single factor, and then add in all the other comorbidities such as overweight, diabetes, heart disease, respiratory problems, etc etc.

 

Seems like you're willing to write off quite a large percentage of the population, based on one risk factor or another.

 

 

 

Edited April 20, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[proton]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

As of last week, an average of 60+ people per day were being hospitalized in Thailand for COVID, and some of those sick enough to require intubation because they cannot otherwise breathe.

 

You seem to have a very odd definition of "no real threat anymore."

More people than that die on the roads every day, no big deal here

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 minute ago, proton said:

More people than that die on the roads every day, no big deal here

So you think both the road deaths and COVID hospitalizations are no big deal?

 

I certainly don't think that.....in either category.

 

[transam]

7 minutes ago, proton said:

More people than that die on the roads every day, no big deal here

We are not talking about Thai roads............

[dinsdale]

1 minute ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

So in your view, overweight people who die from COVID deserve it, because they became oveweight?

 

Last time I saw, the majority of the U.S. population is classified as overweight/obese.

 

"Roughly two out of three U.S. adults are overweight or obese (69 percent) and one out of three are obese (36 percent)."

 

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-trends-original/obesity-rates-worldwide/

 

Fairly sure I didn't say that people deserve to die, in fact this is what I posted:  "Maybe this has something to do with it. Fat diabetic people hospitaslised / dying with covid."

 

Quoting you:  "So in your view, overweight people who die from COVID deserve it,...." 

 

A retraction that I suggested these people derserve to die would be nice. Thank you.

This is factual.

Hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes were the most common comorbidity in patients death due to COVID-19. More than half of the patients had two or more comorbidities.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8677356/

 

 

 

[transam]

3 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Fairly sure I didn't say that people deserve to die, in fact this is what I posted:  "Maybe this has something to do with it. Fat diabetic people hospitaslised / dying with covid."

 

Quoting you:  "So in your view, overweight people who die from COVID deserve it,...." 

 

A retraction that I suggested these people derserve to die would be nice. Thank you.

This is factual.

Hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes were the most common comorbidity in patients death due to COVID-19. More than half of the patients had two or more comorbidities.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8677356/

 

 

 

The fact is, Covid still did finish many off, if no Covid they would have lived on, regardless of diet...

Muesli munchers are usually always present in these Covid threads, sadly...

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

12 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Fairly sure I didn't say that people deserve to die, in fact this is what I posted:  "Maybe this has something to do with it. Fat diabetic people hospitaslised / dying with covid."

 

 

So  what's your point of raising the issue then?  Everyone knows what the various risk factors are.

 

The typical reason people post as you did is to essentially imply that those people are at some point going to die anyway... so let's not really blame COVID.

 

The reality is,  in cases counted as COVID deaths, they're dying either directly from COVID or with COVID as a contributing factor...  Either way, it's due to COVID causing or hastening the deaths -- no matter what their comorbidities may be.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 20, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

14 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Fairly sure I didn't say that people deserve to die, in fact this is what I posted:  "Maybe this has something to do with it. Fat diabetic people hospitaslised / dying with covid."

 

Quoting you:  "So in your view, overweight people who die from COVID deserve it,...." 

 

A retraction that I suggested these people derserve to die would be nice. Thank you.

This is factual.

Hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes were the most common comorbidity in patients death due to COVID-19. More than half of the patients had two or more comorbidities.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8677356/

 

 

 

 

Over time, I'm pretty sure mere AGE is the number one risk factor for bad COVID outcomes... age itself of course not being a so-called comorbidity / medical condition/illness...

 

And the reality is, none of use can do anything to turn back the clock of advancing age.

 

[dinsdale]

Just now, transam said:

The fact is, Covid still did finish many off, if no Covid they would have lived on, regardless of diet...

Muesli munchers are usually always present in these Covid threads, sadly...

Yes it did and old people and healthy people and young people but this was Delta. Even then the % of people dying with comorbitities far outweighed the rest. Delta has gone. The pandemic is over. The only threat from Omicron is people at high risk. Not everyone else. So a very, very, very small % of people globally or here in Thailand will die from covid and/or complications associated with comorbidities.This is the reality. Pandemic is over.  Full stop. As for accusing me as a muesli muncher you are just so far off the mark with that one.

????

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Yes... the COVID mortality percentages these days are very small... in part because of vaccinations and prior COVID infections among the population.

 

But even very small percentages become significant numbers of deaths when you get to the country levels.... such as the close to 200 people per day dying from COVID in the U.S.

 

A tiny percentage compared to the U.S.  population. But not so tiny if you or your family are involved in one of those hundreds of daily COVID deaths. 

 

And then there are the thousands of daily new COVID hospitalizations in the U.S. that don't result in deaths, and the toll of Long COVID that leaves people with long-lasting symptoms that leave them unable to work, etc etc.

 

Despite what some claim, it's an ongoing public health issue around the world.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 20, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[transam]

4 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Yes it did and old people and healthy people and young people but this was Delta. Even then the % of people dying with comorbitities far outweighed the rest. Delta has gone. The pandemic is over. The only threat from Omicron is people at high risk. Not everyone else. So a very, very, very small % of people globally or here in Thailand will die from covid and/or complications associated with comorbidities.This is the reality. Pandemic is over.  Full stop. As for accusing me as a muesli muncher you are just so far off the mark with that one.

????

Get your facts right, folk are still going down with a Covid variant, folk are still dying via Covid.

I never accused you personally of being a muesli muncher, but I reckon you are all the same, you, having a dig at folks diet...

 

Some of us understand that Covid is alive and well, unfortunately a few on here don't, and don't understand the repercussions of their words  and others safety............

[h90]

9 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

I don't know.. Today I have to go he hospital and I will wear a mask. Why would you think, but last week I needed a bloodtest and went in without a mask and everyone was looking at me as if I was a criminal, and the nurse asked why I did not wear one. I explained that there is no real threat anymore, and than she ran away, just scary I think??? So I thought I let myself go with the flow....But it is still strange... Songkran no masks and now again everybody wearing one

You may have infected her with freethink virus....very dangerous for people in power

[dinsdale]

https://ourworldindata.org/

It's over. There is no pandemic now. Omicron is endemic. Omicron for the majority of the global population is not fatal. Omicron for the majority of the global population is a mild viral infection. Omicron will continue to modify but it will not be any more severe maybe just more infectious.

Edited April 20, 2023 by dinsdale

[trainman34014]

9 hours ago, anrcaccount said:

Thai media has a strange obsession with this virus. IMO their coverage of it causes far more concern than warranted. 

 

Elsewhere in the world coverage of it has practically ceased, yet it's still a front page story here frequently.

 

Clearly the pandemic is ending.

 

Overall, Worldwide cases and deaths are as low as they've been since early 2020. 

 

Time to move on.

 

 

 

Thai Media have no Press Freedom to report on things that many would see as important; so they have to fill the news 

pages somehow !

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

22 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Omicron will continue to modify but it will not be any more severe maybe just more infectious.

 

Except for the 23,000 or so people around the world who are dying from COVID every  month at this point, according to the WHO.

 

"Globally, 3 million new cases and over 23 000 deaths were reported in the last 28 days (13 March to 9 April 2023), a decrease of 28% and 30%, respectively, compared to the previous 28 days (13 February to 12 March2023) (Figure 1, Table 1). Contrary to the overall trend, important increases in reported cases and deaths were seen in the South-East Asia and Eastern Mediterranean regions and in several individual countries elsewhere."

 

AND

 

"Current trends in reported COVID-19 cases continue to be underestimates of the true number of global infections and reinfections as shown by prevalence surveys.1-4 This is partly due to the reductions in testing and delays in reporting in many countries."

 

https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20230413_weekly_epi_update_138.pdf?sfvrsn=2f5d54c6_8&download=true

 

Thailand is a good example of the above. Doesn't even count or publicly report just COVID infections /positive tests anymore. Only reports COVID hospitalizations, which are what the various counting entities now count as their "cases."

 

Not to mention, previously having adopted a very narrow definition of what the Thai MoPH will consider a death caused by COVID.

 

 

Edited April 20, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[dinsdale]

9 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Except for the 23,000 or so people around the world who are dying from COVID every  month at this point, according to the WHO.

 

"Globally, 3 million new cases and over 23 000 deaths were reported in the last 28 days (13 March to 9 April 2023), a decrease of 28% and 30%, respectively, compared to the previous 28 days (13 February to 12 March2023) (Figure 1, Table 1). Contrary to the overall trend, important increases in reported cases and deaths were seen in the South-East Asia and Eastern Mediterranean regions and in several individual countries elsewhere."

 

AND

 

"Current trends in reported COVID-19 cases continue to be underestimates of the true number of global infections and reinfections as shown by prevalence surveys.1-4 This is partly due to the reductions in testing and delays in reporting in many countries."

 

https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20230413_weekly_epi_update_138.pdf?sfvrsn=2f5d54c6_8&download=true

 

Thailand is a good example of the above. Doesn't even count or publicly report just COVID infections /positive tests anymore. Only reports COVID hospitalizations, which are what the various counting entities now count as their "cases."

 

Not to mention, previously having adopted a very narrow definition of what the Thai MoPH will consider a death caused by COVID.

 

 

Ok. So globally it has a death rate of around 0.00028%. How many of them with comorbidities? If you think Omicron is dangerous that fine. You keep wearing your mask and washing your hands. For me I view it as no more dangerous than the common cold of which both share similar symptoms.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

3 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

For me I view it as no more dangerous than the common cold of which both share similar symptoms.

Which is clearly a false claim, as prior post responses to your claims have shown.  And once again, as usual, you provide absolutely no credible sourcing to support your claim.

 

Similar symptoms... to some extents yes. No more dangerous, definitely wrong.

 

 

 

Edited April 20, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[ikke1959]

3 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Here on this forum,  as reported by the Thai Min of Health.

 

"Department director-general Tharet Krutnairawiwong said 435 patients were admitted to hospital for treatment of Covid-19 between April 9 and 15, about 62 cases per day. Of the number, 30 had lung inflammation and 19 were put on ventilators, up 58% and 36% respectively, from the previous week."

 

 

Those COVID hospitalization numbers from last week are more than double those from the week before, and the highest for Thailand since late January of this year.

 

and how many in hospital because of traffic accidents??? and still everybody starts to wear a helmet?? Covid is a normal disease now.. All over the world everything is back to normal, but here in Thailand they keep on going

[dinsdale]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Which is clearly a false claim, as prior post responses to your claims have shown.  And once again, as usual, you provide absolutely no credible sourcing to support your claim.

 

Similar symptoms... to some extents yes. No more dangerous, definitely wrong.

 

 

 

I've had colds and I've had covid. Still here mate. No hospital. Just a bit sick for a few days. When it comes to Omicron it's been the same for every one I know whose had it, mild except for one. He was asymptomatic. Please don't misrepresent what I said. I said for the majority of people it's a mild virul infection that shares similar symptoms as the common cold and this is the true.

Coronavirus symptoms vs cold

The Omicron variant (the most dominant strain in the UK) has symptoms that are very similar to a cold. Symptoms such as a headache, a sore throat, a runny nose, muscle aches, coughing or sneezing can be symptoms of the Omicron variant, or a cold.  

https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/coronavirus-and-your-health/coronavirus-symptoms-cold-flu-or-coronavirus#:~:text=tell the difference.-,Coronavirus symptoms vs cold,Omicron variant%2C or a cold.

 

As Omicron evolves it does come with different symptoms but none are considered severe or life threatening for the majority as a cold is not life threatening for the majority. You're making a mountain out of a molehill. 23,000 (according to the WHO data you linked) died in the 28 days (13 Mar-9 April) out of a population of around 8 billion. Sure those figures are not accurate with under reporting, figures from China can't be trusted, we don't know the age and comorbidity breakdown but it's a still a relatively small number of deaths. Road deaths globally are 1.3 million according to the WHO. Ourworldindata puts last years deaths globally at 67.1 million. I guess it's all perspective and and individuals situation.

Edited April 20, 2023 by dinsdale

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, ikke1959 said:

but here in Thailand they keep on going

Thailand's government is probably giving LESS attention to COVID as an issue than other places like the U.S. and the U.K., and certainly far behind in widely offering the newest bivalent COVID vaccines.

 

It's just that COVID denyers here on this forum get agitated and offended anytime they see a news report or thread on a subject that they really don't want to see...  Unfortunately, sticking your head in the sand isn't going to stop COVID deaths and illnesses from occurring.

 

[stoner]

3 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

A tiny percentage compared to the U.S.  population. But not so tiny if you or your family are involved in one of those hundreds of daily COVID deaths.

the risk factor is now considered part of every day life. people get sick and they die. 

 

there are much bigger things to spend time on now in regards to death rates and health issues. 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

3 minutes ago, stoner said:

the risk factor is now considered part of every day life.

When exactly did that happen, and "considered" by who exactly? You?

 

I must have missed the memo telling me that 23,000 official COVID deaths per month in the world, and the real figure likely being higher, is nothing to be concerned about.

 

[stoner]

Just now, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

When exactly did that happen, and "considered" by who exactly? You?

 

I must have missed the memo telling me that 23,000 official COVID deaths per month in the world, and the real figure likely being higher, is nothing to be concerned about.

 

not sure if you noticed john but you're the only one screaming from the top of the mountain anymore. 

 

23k deaths per month is peanuts. there are so many other things that kill far more people. yes 23k deaths is peanuts considering there has been over 150k deaths TODAY alone and counting.

 

and with 8 billion people and counting.........well we could do with about 7 or so billion less. 

 

 

https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/

 

 

 

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Looks like the WHO disagrees with you: From the WHO as of March 30, 2023:

 

"while SARS-CoV-2 may be moving towards becoming an endemic disease that can be managed through routine systems without significant ongoing PHSM [Public health and social measures], that time has not yet arrived.

 

As long as there is widespread transmission, which there currently is, there is a high risk of the emergence of additional variants, which have the potential to be more severe and thus require the reintroduction of significant PHSM.

 

Further, with every new case of SARS-CoV-2 infection, there is a potential for the person to develop post-COVID-19 condition (also known as ‘long COVID’)."

 

etc etc...

 

https://apps.who.int/iris/rest/bitstreams/1495640/retrieve

 

Edited April 20, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[stoner]

ok john.

[MrJ2U]

13 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

go with the flow....

Good on you. 

 

Much easier than making others uncomfortable and at unease with such a simple thing as wearing a mask in a hospital. 

 

Smog is so bad here in Issan that I would wear a mask but it would be soaked in sweat as it's been around 113 degrees everyday this week. 

[anrcaccount]

Even China is truly ditching the masks now.

 

Is Thailand the only place in the world still masking?

 

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/era-has-passed-beijing-subway-drops-mandatory-covid-mask-rule-2023-04-16/

 

"Staff at a Beijing subway station tore down signs reminding people to wear masks, Beijing Daily reported.

 

 

The pandemic is nearing its end, based on World Health Organization data, said Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the China Daily."