Looking for information on a respiratory infection currently circulating in Thailand.

[rabas]

Two immediate family members including my wife got sick about a week ago with a respiratory illness mostly localized to the throat. Symptoms include troublesome persistent coughing, a moderate sore throat, and little nasal involvement. I'm told there is a lot going around up country in parts of Buriram where we have relatives.

 

I have little input from elsewhere. Has anyone heard of something like this?  Is something going around? Any thoughts on if it is viral or bacterial? I'm all too aware of Thailand's air pollution issues but symptoms, locale, and timing seem the rule that out.

 

Many thanks.

[BritManToo]

I'e had it and just about recovered, and my 12yo son, and most of the kids in his class.

Really persistent cough, lasted 4-6 weeks.

[GammaGlobulin]

My opinion is that any respiratory illness will be significantly exacerbated due to the poor air quality we are now experiencing.

 

I think that almost everybody already recognizes that this is true.

 

[rabas]

6 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I'e had it and just about recovered, and my 12yo son, and most of the kids in his class.

Really persistent cough, lasted 4-6 weeks.

 

Thanks, yes that sounds just like it.

 

[Georgealbert]

As @GammaGlobulin stated many respiratory conditions are becoming worse due to the poor air quality. If there is a infection going around, any effects are being amplified.

 

Article on some of the problems currently occurring in the Thai Enquirer yesterday.

 

“Short-term effects include irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, coughing, sneezing, and shortness of breath”

 

https://www.thaienquirer.com/51928/pm2-5-an-explainer/

 

 

Edited March 21 by Georgealbert

[rabas]

Just now, GammaGlobulin said:

My opinion is that any respiratory illness will be significantly exacerbated due to the poor air quality we are now experiencing.

 

I think that almost everybody already recognizes that this is true.

 

Agree. Also, some but not all forms of air pollution may contribute somewhat to the transmission of existing pathogens, most likely viral. However, pollution on its own can not cause pathogenic illness. I am looking for causes and hopefully the pathogen.

 

[Georgealbert]

8 minutes ago, rabas said:

 

Agree. Also, some but not all forms of air pollution may contribute somewhat to the transmission of existing pathogens, most likely viral. However, pollution on its own can not cause pathogenic illness. I am looking for causes and hopefully the pathogen.

 

The only reported concerns, seem to be the spread, which was recorded at the end of last year in Northern China, of respiratory viruses and a bacteria mycoplasma pneumoniae surge. This of course may have zero to do with what you have noticed, but little else mentioned in the Thai media.

 

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-health-ministry-dealing-with-potential-spread-of-respiratory-illness-from-china/

[pub2022]

16 minutes ago, Georgealbert said:

The only reported concerns, seem to be the spread, which was recorded at the end of last year in Northern China, of respiratory viruses and a bacteria mycoplasma pneumoniae surge. This of course may have zero to do with what you have noticed, but little else mentioned in the Thai media.

 

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-health-ministry-dealing-with-potential-spread-of-respiratory-illness-from-china/

 

Here we go again, it's China's fault.

Are you sure it isn't Russia?

Maybe both, why not.

[Georgealbert]

2 minutes ago, pub2022 said:

 

Here we go again, it's China's fault.

Are you sure it isn't Russia?

Maybe both, why not.

So where in my post, do I blame China, it is a natural illness that has developed 

 

Do you think either myself or the Thai Health Authority made it up the story?
 

Do you always get triggered over facts?

 

“At a press conference on 13 November 2023, China’s National Health Commission reported on a nationwide increase in the incidence of respiratory diseases, predominantly affecting children.”

 

https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2023-DON494

 

 

[PoorSucker]

Everyone at my work here in Pattaya has it.

[rabas]

37 minutes ago, Georgealbert said:

The only reported concerns, seem to be the spread, which was recorded at the end of last year in Northern China, of respiratory viruses and a bacteria mycoplasma pneumoniae surge. This of course may have zero to do with what you have noticed, but little else mentioned in the Thai media.

 

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-health-ministry-dealing-with-potential-spread-of-respiratory-illness-from-china/

Sorry, to old to be relevant. 

[rabas]

3 minutes ago, PoorSucker said:

Everyone at my work here in Pattaya has it.

 

Thank you for a relevant comment! 

 

So it does seem widespread. Almost certainly a pathogen.

 

[mancub]

All the schoolkids and most family members here in Ubon seem to have/had it. Very persistent and hard to shrug off. Never sure which (if any) medication is best. especially for the children. as the clinics seem to want to administer injections every time !

[ozimoron]

I'm just getting over it. Hyper bad cough for days every time I lay down and it turned into pneumonia. I started self medication with amoxyclav but that didn't shift it at all. After 3 more days I went to the Buakhow clinic and they gave me a shot and some tablets. That helped after another day. I think the unlabelled black and red tabs must have ephedrine because I couldn't sleep last night.

 

The shot is necessary.

 

The OP symptoms were spot on, with minor nasal flow as well.

 

Edited March 21 by ozimoron

[ozimoron]

The tabs are Cedipect. 3 tabs per day.

Edited March 21 by ozimoron

[PoorSucker]

9 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

. I think the unlabelled black and red tabs must have ephedrine because I couldn't sleep last night.

Codein

[ozimoron]

1 minute ago, PoorSucker said:

Codein

 

Yes, I just looked it up

[rabas]

5 minutes ago, mancub said:

All the schoolkids and most family members here in Ubon seem to have/had it. Very persistent and hard to shrug off. Never sure which (if any) medication is best. especially for the children. as the clinics seem to want to administer injections every time !

 

2 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

I'm just getting over it. Hyper bad cough for days every time I lay down and it turned into pneumonia. I started self medication with amoxyclav but that didn't shift it at all. After 3 more days I went to the Buakhow clinic and they gave me a shot and some tablets. That helped after another day. I think the unlabelled black and red tabs must have ephedrine because I couldn't sleep last night.

 

The shot is necessary.

 

 

Thanks and thanks.

 

That's why I a started the thread, I want to know what it is and how to fight it. My niece was given Amoxy-Clavulanic acid, often a good choice for tough bacteria,  but it's not clear how much better she is. There are two reasons AmoxyClav may not work, it's not a bacteria or it can't fight the bug.

[Georgealbert]

23 minutes ago, rabas said:

Sorry, to old to be relevant. 

Yes, but not much else on the DDC (Department for Disease Control) news/alerts, other than warning of “PM2.5 smog problem” again, yesterday.

 

https://ddc.moph.go.th/newsmass.php

 

https://ddc.moph.go.th/odpc1/news.php?news=41708&deptcode=odpc1

[rattlesnake]

Whatever is going around doesn't seem to be confined to Thailand. I was in France from December to February and lots of people there had exactly the symptoms described. The most striking difference with regular, seasonal colds was the time it lasted for everyone, several weeks. Even my dad, who is usually the type who never gets sick, couldn't completely get rid of it for nearly 2 months. And my brother who is in London told me it was the same there with everybody coughing at the office…

[VocalNeal]

1 hour ago, Georgealbert said:

Short-term effects include irritation

 

What I get when reading any posts posted by "you know who"

[ozimoron]

8 minutes ago, rabas said:

Thanks and thanks.

 

That's why I a started the thread, I want to know what it is and how to fight it. My niece was given Amoxy-Clavulanic acid, often a good choice for tough bacteria,  but it's not clear how much better she is. There are two reasons AmoxyClav may not work, it's not a bacteria or it can't fight the bug.

 

I doubt that it was a virus or it wouldn't have responded to the shot so that leaves amoxyclav as ineffective.

 

The cough was extremely violent and uncontrollable but fairly unproductive. It came on moments after I lay down and nothing alleviated it except getting up again.

 

Edited March 21 by ozimoron

[ozimoron]

2 minutes ago, saintdomingo said:

I'm surprised that Mike Lister or another mod has not moved this to the health forum.

By rabas
1 hour ago in Health and Medicine

[rabas]

1 minute ago, ozimoron said:

 

I doubt that it was a virus or it wouldn't have responded to the shot so that leaves amoxyclav as ineffective.

 

 

Agree but do you know what the shot was?   

 

[ozimoron]

5 minutes ago, rabas said:

 

Agree but do you know what the shot was?   

 

 

I believe it started with an L. I did try to read it but the doc was too quick. I asked if it was rocephin but she said it was not and that it was specific to upper respiratory tract. It was definitely an antibiotic. 

 

It's 80% better after 2 days but today there is some recurrence.

 

Edited March 21 by ozimoron

[PPMMUU]

A lot of respiratory viruses are going around in Thailand right now, including but not limited to rhinovirus, adenovirus, influenza, parainfluenza, and COVID-19. There's nothing specific, really. Additionally, the air pollution problem will likely cause those infected to experience more and longer symptoms, which is not good but not unexpected.

[ukrules]

There were lots of reports in various places around the world of what they call the 'hundred day cough' which is apparently nothing more than a nickname for an old infection commonly known as 'whooping cough' or pertussis.

 

These reports started late last year but have really surged recently.

 

It is bacterial in nature and it's going around right now.

 

I would imagine that most of us are vaccinated against it already but who knows.

Edited March 21 by ukrules

[ozimoron]

1 minute ago, ukrules said:

There were lots of reports in various places of what they call the 'hundred day cough' which is apparently nothing more than a nickname for an old infection commonly known as 'whooping cough' or pertussis.

 

These reports started late last year but have really surged recently.

 

It is bacterial in nature

 

I would imagine that most of us are vaccinated against it already but who knows.

 

I had whooping cough as a kid. No idea if I could get it again or not.

[it is what it is]

 

lasted about three weeks for me.

 

if you're concerned about a medical condition suggest you go to see a doctor. at least that's what i'd do.

[ukrules]

15 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

 

I had whooping cough as a kid. No idea if I could get it again or not.

 

Yes, I think me and the brother/sister all had it as well but that was a very long time ago back in the 1970s.

 

I know it's something that is routinely vaccinated against these days.

 

Also I know this whooping cough outbreak which seemed to begin last year has now gone global, it's everywhere. If you search the news there are many reports from all around the world and they're recent.