Phuket sees Covid-19 surge, lax prevention and booster shot issues

[webfact]

Thailand’s island province of Phuket has experienced a concerning surge in Covid-19 infections over the past month, according to the Provincial Public Health Office. Deputy Chief Dr Muanprae Boonlorm highlighted that Vachira Phuket Hospital has seen a rise in Covid-19 patients since the Songkran holiday in mid-April. The number of hospitalisations due to pneumonia and Covid-19 related fatalities have also increased compared to the February to March period, Bangkok Post reported.

 

Dr. Muanprae attributed the increase in infections to people being lax in practicing preventive measures and a lack of fourth or fifth booster shots. Most of the fatalities between April and this month were among the ‘608’ at-risk group, which includes individuals aged 60 and over, those with underlying conditions, and pregnant women. Many in this group were found to be unvaccinated or under-vaccinated, with some receiving their last booster shots over a year ago.

 

Despite the rising infections, Dr. Muanprae assured that the province has the capacity to handle hospitalisations from Covid-19, with only 15-20% of beds in Covid-19 wards currently occupied. 

 

by Mitch Connor

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/phuket-sees-covid-19-surge-lax-prevention-and-booster-shot-issues

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-05-31

 

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[ChipButty]

I don't know about you guys but Im wearing a mask when I go out, We had to do a some shopping on Sunday, Makro and Central albeit in the morning not over busy but everyone was masked up staff everywhere 

[Rimmer]

A baiting troll post has been removed

[That time again]

  On 5/31/2023 at 3:52 AM, ChipButty said:

I don't know about you guys but Im wearing a mask when I go out, We had to do a some shopping on Sunday, Makro and Central albeit in the morning not over busy but everyone was masked up staff everywhere 

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I’m doing same in Pattaya and Bkk, 40,000 a day in bkk

[hotchilli]

  On 5/31/2023 at 3:52 AM, ChipButty said:

I don't know about you guys but Im wearing a mask when I go out, We had to do a some shopping on Sunday, Makro and Central albeit in the morning not over busy but everyone was masked up staff everywhere 

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Same in my area, everyone is masked up outside and have been since the re-opening.

They never really dropped the masks.

[Jack West Jr]

I wish people / the Thai media would stop this panic mongering . My wife and I happen to be back in Europe till the 22nd June and I can assure you noone here gives a damn about Covid . Facts : it's not a pandemic or even an epidemic anymore . Vaccinations only make sense for the extremely vulnerable .

Just live your lives ,all . 

[ignore it]

I wonder if TAT will meet it"s target from a large Asian country that is experiencing a new wave of covid.

No connection I'm sure.

[wombat]

I don't wear a mask because of covid when I go outside I wear one because of the air quality...sitting on the back of a motorbike taxi in traffic makes sense to me.

[Spock]

  On 5/31/2023 at 7:13 AM, 4MyEgo said:

Have you not read the recent study that masks, of any kind do not stop the spread. Might as well stay inside and allows others to do your shopping for you and leave it at the door if your worried you will catch this milder strain of the flu, cold, Covid, call it what you like.

 

Also don't forget all the other stuff out there far more deadlier than the above.

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It's not always mild. I had a really nasty bout of it about 2 months ago, three weeks after my 5th vaccine.

[Pink Mist]

Reported posts making unsubstantiated claims as well as a trolling photo post have been removed.

[VBF]

  On 5/31/2023 at 6:42 AM, hotchilli said:

Same in my area, everyone is masked up outside and have been since the re-opening.

They never really dropped the masks.

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When I was in Pattaya Feb - April, very few people were bothering. The only place masks were compulsory was in SCB! I never quite got that.

As others have said, it's really nothing to worry about any more for most people - the tone of the OP basically said that those suffering were the clinically vulnerable and those who cannot be bothered to get boosters. There's a clue there!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

For some reason, the Thai MoPH appears to have not done their usual public weekly COVID update for the past week...May 21 onward.

 

But, Thai PBS nonetheless provided a pretty good recap over the past weekend of where things stand in Thailand lately:

 

"a warning yesterday from Dr. Nitipat Jiarakul, chief of the Division of the Respiratory Diseases and Tuberculosis at the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital, that COVID-19 is staging a comeback, with as many as 20,000-40,000 people being infected each day, about 20 times more than the rate of infection in April.

 

According to Dr. Nitipat, admissions to hospitals have increased to about 400 a day, from about 20 in April and, of these, 5% are suffering lung infections and half of them have died."

 

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/siriraj-hospitals-icu-and-ipd-fully-occupied-with-covid-19-patients/

 

Thailand wide COVID stats:

 

March 26 to April 1 - COVID weekly new hospitalizations (in red) and new deaths (in gray).

 

 

May 14-20 - COVID weekly new hospitalizations (averaging 376 per day) and new deaths (averaging 7 per day).

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/informationcovid19/photos

 

At last public count, Thailand also had 600+ COVID cases hospitalized in serious condition and/or requiring intubation in order to breathe.

 

[Fairynuff]

  On 5/31/2023 at 6:43 AM, Jack West Jr said:

I wish people / the Thai media would stop this panic mongering . My wife and I happen to be back in Europe till the 22nd June and I can assure you noone here gives a damn about Covid . Facts : it's not a pandemic or even an epidemic anymore . Vaccinations only make sense for the extremely vulnerable .

Just live your lives ,all . 

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You do what you want, let people do what they want. Covid is STILL an issue in Europe. Ignoring it doesn’t mean it’s not there.

[Pink Mist]

A post using a moderation quoted post has been removed. 

[Kopitiam]

  On 5/31/2023 at 7:37 AM, VBF said:

When I was in Pattaya Feb - April, very few people were bothering. The only place masks were compulsory was in SCB! I never quite got that.

As others have said, it's really nothing to worry about any more for most people - the tone of the OP basically said that those suffering were the clinically vulnerable and those who cannot be bothered to get boosters. There's a clue there!

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  On 5/31/2023 at 7:19 AM, Spock said:

It's not always mild. I had a really nasty bout of it about 2 months ago, three weeks after my 5th vaccine.

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After 3 boosters, still caught covid.  There is a clue there too!

[jak2002003]

  On 5/31/2023 at 9:01 AM, Kopitiam said:

 

After 3 boosters, still caught covid.  There is a clue there too!

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I had no covid vaccinations or boosters...and I don't wear a mask (only did so when it was compulsory when it started). I have never had covid. 

[spidermike007]

According to reliable sources such as Worldometer, there were 24,434 new cases worldwide yesterday, and only 17 new deaths. More than half of the new cases were in South Korea. And nearly the entire balance in Thailand? Yet, the panic mongering continues here, and some claim up to 40,000 new cases a day. Yeah, right.

 

The entire planet has gotten over covid, and moved on, yet the Zombie Apocalypse mentality persists here, even amongst a minority of ex-pats. When will you guys allow life to normalize and acknowledge the symptoms from the latest variants are far less fatal, and closer to a flu? I got it 6 months ago. I have had worse flus before.

 

I stopped wearing a mask a year ago, and you will not see me with one again. I trust my own immunity, over endless booster shots and Big Pharma. They have already earned tens of billions of dollars, and enough is enough.

 

 

[Mattd]

  On 5/31/2023 at 9:01 AM, Kopitiam said:

 

After 3 boosters, still caught covid.  There is a clue there too!

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  On 5/31/2023 at 7:19 AM, Spock said:

It's not always mild. I had a really nasty bout of it about 2 months ago, three weeks after my 5th vaccine.

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And there!

[ICU Kid]

Do people still get normal colds & flus or is it ALL covid now?

And, how can we tell the difference?

 

I don't mind a cold or flu but have heard bad things about covid - I don't think I've had it though tbh but then again, I haven't been out of my apartment since it all kicked off. 

[swerve]

  On 5/31/2023 at 10:00 AM, ICU Kid said:

Do people still get normal colds & flus or is it ALL covid now?

And, how can we tell the difference?

 

I don't mind a cold or flu but have heard bad things about covid - I don't think I've had it though tbh but then again, I haven't been out of my apartment since it all kicked off. 

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You can tell the difference with a positive antigen test (49 baht).  

[ICU Kid]

  On 5/31/2023 at 10:16 AM, swerve said:

You can tell the difference with a positive antigen test (49 baht).  

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Oh OK Thanks.  How often do you have to take them?

I guess it would add up if you have to take them all the time and don't have a boss to pay for them.  Is there any other way to tell the difference?

[rattlesnake]

  On 5/31/2023 at 7:19 AM, Spock said:

It's not always mild. I had a really nasty bout of it about 2 months ago, three weeks after my 5th vaccine.

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Thank God you had your 5 shots, or it would have been a lot worse.

[rattlesnake]

  On 5/31/2023 at 9:25 AM, jak2002003 said:

I had no covid vaccinations or boosters...and I don't wear a mask (only did so when it was compulsory when it started). I have never had covid. 

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Same for me.

[Marvo]

Anybody got the last year's "Excess Deaths" figures for Thailand?
Wondered how we were doing, compared to back home.

[ThailandTommy]

  On 5/31/2023 at 6:43 AM, Jack West Jr said:

I wish people / the Thai media would stop this panic mongering . My wife and I happen to be back in Europe till the 22nd June and I can assure you noone here gives a damn about Covid . Facts : it's not a pandemic or even an epidemic anymore . Vaccinations only make sense for the extremely vulnerable .

Just live your lives ,all . 

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Hi, My wife and I are also in Europe, in Spain we are flying to Portugal on 27th June with Ryan Air.

On their Covid information page it lists countries that are currently prohibited from entering Portugal it also lists countries that if travelling from you have to satisfy certain requirements like vaccination certification etc. 

Maybe other parts of Europe differ in attitude. 

[Paradise Pete]

  On 5/31/2023 at 6:43 AM, Jack West Jr said:

 back in Europe till the 22nd June and I can assure you noone here gives a damn about Covid .

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This just in: The virus says it doesn't give a damn if no one gives a damn about it. In fact, it said if it prefers it that way.

[swerve]

  On 5/31/2023 at 10:19 AM, ICU Kid said:

Oh OK Thanks.  How often do you have to take them?

I guess it would add up if you have to take them all the time and don't have a boss to pay for them.  Is there any other way to tell the difference?

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You can buy the antigen test kits at all pharmacies. You take the self-administered test only if you are sick and you think you might have a covid infection.  Total costs will be low. 49 baht per kit is hardly expensive.

[ICU Kid]

  On 5/31/2023 at 11:37 AM, swerve said:

You can buy the antigen test kits at all pharmacies. You take the self-administered test only if you are sick and you think you might have a covid infection.  Total costs will be low. 49 baht per kit is hardly expensive.

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Oh OK, so no way to tell if it's a normal cold or covid without a 49 baht test.

Should have bought shares in the test makers!

[Pink Mist]

An unsubstantiated misinformation post has been removed as well as a Personal attack.

[FarAway]

  On 5/31/2023 at 7:19 AM, Spock said:

It's not always mild. I had a really nasty bout of it about 2 months ago, three weeks after my 5th vaccine.

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And you do not see any connection?! :D