Must Read WHO declares end to COVID global health emergency

[transam]

2 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

...as was my comment if read in context!

Death comparisons need a separate thread, there is no point comparing with something else on a Covid thread, or we will have guns next.....????...

[driver52]

8 hours ago, Gknrd said:

Here in the US it's been over for a long time. Good to hear though...

that's not true though is it? the US still insist on vaccine entry requirements, it will end on May 11

[carlf]

6 hours ago, stoner said:

please stop perpetuating this myth. 

 

yes some people wore masks prior to covid but in no way was it common. i would say it was less than 3 to 5 percent of the population that wore masks prior to covid. which by any measure is a small minority. 

 

this is easily proven with a youtube search which will produce thousands of videos of every day life in and about bkk prior to covid. 

I don't agree.  I've been in Bangkok for almost 5 years, and my recollection is that pre-COVID the majority of Thais that I saw on the streets WERE wearing masks on the streets during the high-pollution periods, eg. Jan-Feb-March.... burning season up-country).  Personally I didn't often wear one, and many Thai friends suggested that I should especially when the AQI got over 100, but I hate wearing masks.  I've always suspected that all those people already wearing masks in early Spring 2020 may be a another reason why Thailand has as many deaths (per 100) as many other countries by COVID.

[Greenwich Boy]

5 hours ago, Peterphuket said:

Well...I think when you look to Japan, it is a bit different, isn't?

I was in Japan last month. The vast majority of locals were wearing masks, most foreigners (including me) were not. At no point did I notice any animosity to those not masked. More an 'each to their own' attitude. Certainly different to Thailand where some locals would give me a very wide berth last year even when masked

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

WHO ends COVID-19 public health emergency, warns of continued health threat

"The World Health Organization (WHO) today declared an end to the COVID-19 public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) put in place on January 30, 2020, a move that its director-general said is cause for celebration and reflection—but warned it doesn't mean the pandemic is over.

...

"However, that does not mean that COVID-19 is over as a global health threat," he added. "Last week, COVID-19 claimed a life every 3 minutes, and that's just the deaths we know about. As we speak, thousands of people around the world are fighting for their lives in intensive care units, and millions more continue to live with the debilitating effects of post–COVID-19 condition."

 

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/who-ends-covid-19-public-health-emergency-warns-continued-health-threat

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

"Globally, COVID-19 cases and deaths continued to drop over the past 4 weeks, but levels are rising in three of the six world regions, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in its latest weekly update.

 

In the Southeast Asia region, hot spots include India, Indonesia, and Thailand. In the Middle East, levels are on the rise in Iran, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. And in the Western Pacific, numbers are up Singapore, Japan, and South Korea."

 

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/quick-takes-cdc-head-resigns-mixed-global-covid-picture-us-rise-newer-subvariants

 

[Bundooman]

9 hours ago, anrcaccount said:

This is it. Just a couple more things need to occur to get Thailand back to "normal" as relates to covid. 

 

1. Thai officials need to tell their people they can stop wearing masks. 

 

2. The alarmist media reporting needs to stop. 

Thai people will decide when they will stop wearing masks, not you or 'Thai officials'.

Many people in Thailand wear masks for a variety of reasons, irrespective of those highly informative, so-called intelligent westerners who Poo-poo Thai people for wearing them.

Their reasons include: allergies, (of which my wife suffers from), traffic pollution, the current problem of polluted air due to crop stubble burning, protecting themselves and others from colds, flu, etc., or even 'B.O'. (foreigners and bad breath.

Leave them alone - they're doing you no harm.

Or do you feel guilty............

 

[stoner]

1 hour ago, carlf said:

I don't agree.  I've been in Bangkok for almost 5 years, and my recollection is that pre-COVID the majority of Thais that I saw on the streets WERE wearing masks on the streets during the high-pollution periods, eg. Jan-Feb-March.... burning season up-country).  Personally I didn't often wear one, and many Thai friends suggested that I should especially when the AQI got over 100, but I hate wearing masks.  I've always suspected that all those people already wearing masks in early Spring 2020 may be a another reason why Thailand has as many deaths (per 100) as many other countries by COVID.

matters not if you agree .......the video evidence is there. go to youtube type in bangkok and search by time if you like too. pull up videos from any time of the year in bkk and you will see the same thing. 

 

until you can provide video evidence to the contrary i stand by my statement. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

From the WHO's latest monthly monitoring report, the section dealing with SE Asia:

Weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 - 4 May 2023

"The South-East Asia Region reported nearly 257 000 new cases, a 454% increase as compared to the previous 28-day period. Eight (73%) of the 11 countries for which data are available reported increases in new cases of 20% or greater...

 

The highest numbers of new cases were reported from India (222 784 new cases; 16.1 new cases per 100 000; +540%), Indonesia (27 358 new cases; 10.0 new cases per 100 000; +168%), and Thailand (3502 new cases; 5.0 new cases per 100 000; +468%).

The number of new 28-day deaths in the Region increased by 317% as compared to the previous 28-day period, with 950 new deaths reported. The highest numbers of new deaths were reported from India (652 new deaths; <1 new death per 100 000; +515%), Indonesia (257 new deaths; <1 new death per 100 000; +165%), and Thailand (19 new deaths; <1 new death per 100 000; -5%)."

 

https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20230504_weekly_epi_update_141.pdf?sfvrsn=ec8d9490_4&download=true

 

Keep in mind, Thailand since last fall no longer publicly reports actual COVID cases or positive tests for COVID. Since last fall, the only "cases" Thailand reports for COVID are those that result in hospitalizations, which means Thailand's so-called "case" numbers aren't comparable to those from other countries.

 

Edited May 6, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[tai4de2]

8 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

It seems that no-one told Thai Air Asia. I've booked a flight for later this month and the booking says that everyone must wear a mask while checking in, throughout the flight and at baggage claim. Maybe they haven't bothered to update their website? Any recent experiences, anyone?

Have taken several domestic trips on Air Asia over the past few months. Masks most certainly not required at any of those stages. 
 

Like elsewhere in Thailand these days, my experience has been that masking is near universal among the Thais and near absent among the foreigners. But no one looked at me funny or seemed to be judgmental about those of us not wearing masks. 

Edited May 6, 2023 by tai4de2

[Snugs08]

19 minutes ago, tai4de2 said:

Have taken several domestic trips on Air Asia over the past few months. Masks most certainly not required at any of those stages. 
 

Like elsewhere in Thailand these days, my experience has been that masking is near universal among the Thais and near absent among the foreigners. But no one looked at me funny or seemed to be judgmental about those of us not wearing masks. 

Can confirm no masks required at any point in airport, nor on the plane. Any notices to the contrary is just out of date rubbish from years ago..  Won't stop the Thai in 33A triple masking and spraying awful hand sanitizer into the air the moment you sit down in 33B though..

Edited May 6, 2023 by Snugs08

[Drop the dead donkey]

I remember when the Thai government stated that economically Thailand would and could survive a lockdown. As they stated in 2020 that tourism only accounted to 20% of GDP.

Now its coming out in the wash that Pattaya is 90% dependent on tourism for its GDP !!

As I always suspected.

Thailand is over over 50% dependent for tourism for its GDP.

 

[paulikens]

4 hours ago, loong said:

They told the Thai people a long time ago that it was no longer required that people wear masks.

So now it is a matter of choice.
Why do so many seem to care about other people's choices to wear a mask?

I still choose to wear a mask when I go to the market, Big C and crowded places.

It is my choice and you really have no need to be concerned about it.

@loong  Because it's anti social.   

[Bangkok Barry]

54 minutes ago, tai4de2 said:

Have taken several domestic trips on Air Asia over the past few months. Masks most certainly not required at any of those stages. 
 

Like elsewhere in Thailand these days, my experience has been that masking is near universal among the Thais and near absent among the foreigners. But no one looked at me funny or seemed to be judgmental about those of us not wearing masks. 

Useful info. Thanks. As usual in Thailand, the rules (in this case of Thai Air Asia) mean nothing at all and are there only to be ignored.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

5 minutes ago, paulikens said:

@loong  Because it's anti social.   

But pro health!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

4 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Useful info. Thanks. As usual in Thailand, the rules (in this case of Thai Air Asia) mean nothing at all and are there only to be ignored.

My wife and I took several domestic flights on Nok Air from and to BKK in the past couple months, and they were asking passengers to wear masks, and most were wearing them.

 

Just as the BTS Skytrain system in BKK continues to ask passengers to wear face masks while onboard, and most do, especially the non-tourist folks.

 

Edited May 6, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Bkk Brian]

7 minutes ago, paulikens said:

@loong  Because it's anti social.   

Its called free choice. If you want to worry about anti social behaviour I suggest there's a lot more out there than people wearing masks if they want to.

[ignis]

strange friends have been getting Covid. - the Lady in Accounting was taken to Hospital this morning, so that is 9 this week with Covid. - 4 of them are in Hospital at this moment....

Edited May 6, 2023 by ignis

[anrcaccount]

4 hours ago, Bundooman said:

Thai people will decide when they will stop wearing masks, not you or 'Thai officials'.

Many people in Thailand wear masks for a variety of reasons, irrespective of those highly informative, so-called intelligent westerners who Poo-poo Thai people for wearing them.

Their reasons include: allergies, (of which my wife suffers from), traffic pollution, the current problem of polluted air due to crop stubble burning, protecting themselves and others from colds, flu, etc., or even 'B.O'. (foreigners and bad breath.

Leave them alone - they're doing you no harm.

Or do you feel guilty............

 

None of those reasons really applied in 2019, when you could go days in Thailand without seeing a single mask.

 

Most thais hadn't even worn a mask, ever, before 2020. 

 

Have you left Thailand in the past year? Do you understand how little masks are now worn anywhere else in the world, where all these same "issues" are present. And the sky has not fallen. 

 

The actual main reason you left out is- social confirmism pressure. That's why Thais are still wearing them, your reasons sound practical,  but are not reality.

 

Thankfully that's (far too) slowly finally changing here.

 

The idea of wearing face coverings indefinitely is just not a good one. 

 

If don't take the masks off now, then when? 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

16 minutes ago, anrcaccount said:

The idea of wearing face coverings indefinitely is just not a good one. 

 

If don't take the masks off now, then when? 

 

Tell that to the staff of the U.S. CDC:

 

"The US CDC is investigating several dozen COVID-19 cases linked to its own annual conference held near the agency’s headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, last week. About 35 people have tested positive as of May 2, according to a CDC spokesperson. The 3-day 2023 Epidemic Intelligence Service conference was the first time in 4 years that EIS officers and alumni gathered in-person.

 

Around 2,000 people attended the conference, and while attendees said many people at the conference did not wear masks or socially distance, most were likely fully vaccinated....

 

The outbreak serves as a reminder that while COVID-19 may not pose the serious risks it did at the beginning of the pandemic, the virus continues to circulate, maybe especially easily at large indoor gatherings."

 

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/--COVID-19-Updates---May-4--2023.html

 

Dunno about those guys, but if it was me, I would have been wearing my mask AND socially distancing...amid a conference involving 2,000 people. That most participants at the CDC conference were not is a bad look for them, IMHO.

 

[tai4de2]

And how many cases of colds and flu were also transmitted at the same conference?

 

The sky is not falling just because it's covid, which is now just another viral respiratory infection, one among many.

Edited May 6, 2023 by tai4de2

[Bepah umayun]

I hope we'll soon stop hearing that nagging soundtrack in the BTS stations: "although the wearing of masks has been relaxed...."

[jacko45k]

20 hours ago, Derek B said:

There are many practical reasons for people wearing a mask all year round. For example having a tendency to ride a motorcycle with your mouth open,

Needed to talk on the phone of course. 

[loong]

14 hours ago, paulikens said:

@loong  Because it's anti social.   

Wearing a mask is anti-social??

What strange ideas you have!

[jacko45k]

10 minutes ago, loong said:

Wearing a mask is anti-social??

What strange ideas you have!

It's like wearing a hat indoors, or putting one's feet up on a chair or table.....only wrong when others do it!

[Chongalulu]

On 5/6/2023 at 7:03 AM, loong said:

Why do so many seem to care about other people's choices to wear a mask?

Because seeing the face is a significant aid to communication. You too both lip read as well as hear the voice to obtain the full message. 

[paulikens]

Just now, loong said:

Wearing a mask is anti-social??

What strange ideas you have!

@loong About as strange as thinking a flimsy mask will protect you from a virus or that you even need protection. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Reuters Fact Check:

 

"Confusion and misinformation surrounding the efficacy of face masks appears to be widespread, with some social media users claiming face coverings don’t work or actually cause harm.

 

Mask wearing does limit COVID-19 transmission and infection in two ways, according to real-world data, studies and several public health experts who spoke to Reuters.

 

Reuters recently debunked claims about masks and lockdowns, finding they effectively slow the spread of COVID-19. Several studies show mask-wearing helps reduce transmission of the virus."

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-coronavirus-masks-idUSL1N2ST0OO

 

[onthedarkside]

Troll post removed

[ozimoron]

The greatest tragedy was the many extra deaths as a direct result of politically inspired misinformation. Thank god it's over, if it really is. I'm just glad I took every precaution I could, got 4 shots and wore masks around people. I attribute being alive to those principles.