Thai Medics Warn of Covid Surge with 11 New Deaths

[webfact]

 

Thai medical authorities have issued a warning following the recorded deaths of 11 individuals in the country and an increase in hospitalisations due to Covid-19, with 1,880 individuals admitted over the past seven days.

 

The Department for Disease Control at Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health released data indicating a daily average of around 269 new Covid hospitalisations. Many of these cases require intensive care and mechanical ventilation, posing a strain on the healthcare system.

 

Concerns are rising among doctors and hospitals as Covid patients are taking longer to recover, leading to a shortage of hospital beds. The high number of cases is also taking a toll on healthcare workers who are feeling overwhelmed by the demands.

 

The situation has been consistent in recent weeks, with high numbers of Covid hospitalisations. Between 15% to 24% of these admissions require ICU care or supplemental oxygen, with recovery times ranging from three to eight weeks.

 

Limited Covid testing is worrying healthcare professionals as it could lead to extensive spread in the community and potentially result in long-term medical issues, such as new-onset diabetes, hypertension, chronic fatigue, and neuropsychiatric problems.

 

The emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 FLiRT variants in Thailand, with mutations F456L and R346T, is also causing alarm. These variants may impact disease transmission and severity, with the KP.3 sub-lineage being particularly concerning due to its high transmissibility rate.

 

Symptoms of the FLiRT variants resemble those of earlier Covid strains but with variations in severity and additional symptoms like rashes, muscular pains, and lung lesions.

 

In addition to physical challenges, the healthcare system is bracing for the psychological toll of the pandemic as healthcare workers face burnout and fatigue. Strict preventive measures, including mask-wearing, social distancing, and hand hygiene, are being enforced while vaccination efforts continue.

 

The upcoming weeks are crucial for Thailand as authorities prepare for a potential surge in Covid cases driven by new variants and ongoing healthcare system challenges.

 

TOP: File photo courtesy of taishande for reference only

 

-- 2024-05-13

 

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[retarius]

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.....before you ask, I don't want a booster. 

[connda]

I wonder if they have a course in Thai universities on how to write Covid Hyperbole Propaganda.  Use this article as a template.

[dinsdale]

One has to wonder why recovery times are longer? Is it the virus or the vaccines This entire article reads like it's going to go pandemic again. Who on here thinks this to be the case? I also see the modal verbs of could and may being used. ps. Won't be long now until the narrative supported by narrative stats are posted.

[Woof999]

Three esteemed medical experts have already replied, so there's not much more I can add.

[dinsdale]

3 minutes ago, Woof999 said:

Three esteemed medical experts have already replied, so there's not much more I can add.

Many 'esteemed experts' said that vaccines are safe and will stop transmission. Remember "Get vaccinated to save granny"?

[milesinnz]

6 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Many 'esteemed experts' said that vaccines are safe and will stop transmission. Remember "Get vaccinated to save granny"?

I think there should be free choice to vaccinate or not.. but those who do not get vaccinated need to sign an indemnity form that should they get sick with Covid, they will stay at home until they are "better"..

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

"Thailand's spring 2024 COVID surge continued for a ninth consecutive week [emphasis added] last week, with the government reporting 1,880 new COVID hospitalizations, up 4.9% from 1,792 the prior week, and 11 new official COVID deaths, a decline of one.

 

The Ministry of Public Health also reported the total number of current COVID hospitalizations rated in serious condition climbed to 588 from 501 the prior week, a 17.4% increase and a tally that appears to be Thailand's highest in almost a year and a half."

...

"The weekly COVID new hospitalization counts reported by the MoPH during the past nine weeks have been as follows, with the spring surge beginning well before this year's mid-April Song Kran holidays, but then climbing rapidly after they arrived:

 

March 16 -- 501

March 23 -- 630

March 30 -- 728

April 6 -- 774

April 13 -- 849

April 20 -- 1,004

April 27 -- 1,672

May 4 -- 1,792

May 11 -- 1,880"

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1326140-hospitalizations-climb-in-thailands-spring-2024-covid-surge/?do=findComment&comment=18911269

 

 

https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/?dashboard=main

 

 

 

[dinsdale]

6 minutes ago, milesinnz said:

I think there should be free choice to vaccinate or not.. but those who do not get vaccinated need to sign an indemnity form that should they get sick with Covid, they will stay at home until they are "better"..

Like big pharma got an indemnity for vaccine injuries/death? You seemed to have missed the very important FACT that being vaccinated does NOT stop transmission. Should vaccinated people have to sign the same indemnity? So everyone basically.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The tone of today's report by the Thai MoPH is particularly interesting, because their comments in past weeks have tended to minimize the spiraling numbers of COVID hospitalizations and suggest everything would be manageable.

 

But now for the first time today, we get a sudden about-face with the following assessment from the OP above:

 

"Concerns are rising among doctors and hospitals as Covid patients are taking longer to recover, leading to a shortage of hospital beds [emphasis added]. The high number of cases is also taking a toll on healthcare workers who are feeling overwhelmed by the demands.

 

The situation has been consistent in recent weeks, with high numbers of Covid hospitalisations. Between 15% to 24% of these admissions require ICU care or supplemental oxygen, with recovery times ranging from three to eight weeks.

 

Limited Covid testing is worrying healthcare professionals as it could lead to extensive spread in the community and potentially result in long-term medical issues, such as new-onset diabetes, hypertension, chronic fatigue, and neuropsychiatric problems."

 

Suddenly, it seems, someone decided that they're actually going to (more or less) start telling the truth.

 

Who knows what might come next? Perhaps someone in the Thai MoPH will come out and explain why they've basically had no national COVID vaccination program for the past year or more, and have shown no signs of making broadly available to the elderly or anyone else the newer COVID vaccines tailored to protect against the newer COVID variants.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

10 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

You seemed to have missed the very important FACT that being vaccinated does NOT stop transmission.

 

Up-to-date vaccinations significantly reduce the risk of people from getting seriously ill / being hospitalized or dying from COVID. And, it reduces the risk of transmission, particularly in the months immediately following vaccination.

 

[dinsdale]

4 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Up-to-date vaccinations significantly reduce the risk of people from getting seriously ill / being hospitalized or dying from COVID. And, it reduces the risk of transmission, particularly in the months immediately following vaccination.

 

Still transmit, still get sick and can still die. Obviously comorditities increase the risk of serious illness or death vaccinated or not.

[connda]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

In addition to physical challenges, the healthcare system is bracing for the psychological toll of the pandemic as healthcare workers face burnout and fatigue.

This is probably written by AI as it is using language right out 2020:  "the healthcare system is bracing for the psychological toll of the pandemic.

 

This is utter bunk.  This is the exact language used in 2020 to scare the hell out of the public.  "bracing for the psychological toll of the pandemic?"  What pandemic? There is no "pandemic"  Please give it a break.

[Woof999]

Just now, dinsdale said:

Still transmit, still get sick and can still die. Obviously comorditities increase the risk of serious illness or death vaccinated or not.

 

Wearing a seatbelt can significantly reduce the risk of serious injury or death in a car crash. Does that mean it's pointless wearing them because they only significantly reduce the risk rather than eliminating it completely?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

If you're a Thai doctor or nurse in an underfunded, understaffed government run hospital, and you've seen the volume of new incoming COVID hospitalizations you have to treat and care for more than triple since mid March, I think it's reasonable to believe there's likely to be a "psychological toll of the pandemic as healthcare workers face burnout and fatigue."

 

Remember, the COVID pandemic has now been ongoing at varying levels for almost four and a half years now, and that alone has taken its toll.

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

3 minutes ago, Woof999 said:

 

Wearing a seatbelt can significantly reduce the risk of serious injury or death in a car crash. Does that mean it's pointless wearing them because they only significantly reduce the risk rather than eliminating it completely?

 

It's crazy anti-vaxer absolutism... Either something works 100%, or we shouldn't be doing it.

 

[BigBruv]

39 minutes ago, milesinnz said:

I think there should be free choice to vaccinate or not.. but those who do not get vaccinated need to sign an indemnity form that should they get sick with Covid, they will stay at home until they are "better"..

 

I agree.  Also for the vaccine injured - NO treatment should be allowed for these people until they are 'better'.

Do what you do at your OWN risk and mind YOUR business.

 

[dinsdale]

20 minutes ago, Woof999 said:

 

Wearing a seatbelt can significantly reduce the risk of serious injury or death in a car crash. Does that mean it's pointless wearing them because they only significantly reduce the risk rather than eliminating it completely?

Rediculous anology. Not wearing a sealtbelt is in no way comparable to a contagious virus be it a seroius or non-serious virus.

[connda]

Dear Thai Government:

Please lock Thailand down again, close all non-essential businesses and schools as well.  And stop tourism until this new pandemic is over.  Make 100% of the population put on masks (except for the wealthy, the leaders, and politicians) and make everyone get shots that don't stop transmission (but makes pharmaceutical companies the big bucks).

Thank you.
Signed,
Scared-out-of-my-mind-in-Thailand-by-Covid-2.0  🙀

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

3 minutes ago, connda said:

make everyone get shots that don't stop transmission (but makes pharmaceutical companies the big bucks).

 

The COVID vaccines somewhat reduce transmission, especially in the months after vaccination, and more reduces people's risks of getting sick from, hospitalized because of, or dying from COVID.

 

If Thailand had done a better job of keeping its population, or even just the most at risk people, up-to-date with the newest COVID vaccinations, we likely wouldn't be talking about new weekly COVID hospitalizations here having tripled since mid March.

 

Updated COVID-19 vaccines effective against variants, new data show

February 01, 2024

 

The updated COVID-19 vaccines were approximately 54% effective against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection and offered protection against JN.1 and XBB viral lineages, according to early estimates published Thursday by the CDC.

...

Overall, VE was 54% (95% CI, 46%-60%) among people who had recently received an updated COVID-19 vaccine. The researchers found that VE for people aged 18 to 49 years was 57% (95% CI, 48%-65%) and for people aged 50 years and older was 46% (95% CI, 31%-58%).

 

https://www.healio.com/news/infectious-disease/20240201/updated-covid19-vaccines-effective-against-variants-new-data-show

 

Latest COVID vaccine, antivirals lower risk of severe COVID-19, new data show

March 8, 2024

 

According to new research from the Cleveland Clinic published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, updated COVID-19 vaccines—the monovalent (single-strain) XBB.1.5 shots—reduced the risk of severe COVID-19 by 31%, and the use of antiviral drugs reduced the risk of severe disease by 42%.

...

In patients aged 65 years or older, the HR was 0.66 (95% CI, 0.55 to 0.79) for XBB.1.5 vaccination (34% protection) and 0.52 (0.45 to 0.60) for antiviral treatment (48% protection). In contrast, in patients aged younger than 65 years, the HR was 0.82 (0.59 to 1.15) for XBB.1.5 vaccination (18% protection) and 0.69 (0.57 to 0.82) for antiviral treatment (31% protection).

 

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/latest-covid-vaccine-antivirals-lower-risk-severe-covid-19-new-data-show

 

 

[dinsdale]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

It's crazy anti-vaxer absolutism... Either something works 100%, or we shouldn't be doing it.

 

Ah! Nice to see the old anti-vaxer rhetoric raise it's ugly head again. That was a big part of the get vaccinated or you're no good campaign. Not wanting to take the covid 'vaccine' does not make a person an anti-vaxer. Tetanus. I'll have and have had the jab. Rabbies. I'll have and have had the jabs. As for kids they should get their course of jabs apart from the mRNA jabs. I though will never have another mRNA jab for what is essentially a non-serious virul infection for the overwhelming % of the World's population from technology that has had no long term independent studies and has been shown to be able to cause serious side effects including death. Ok it might be rare by I'll never risk it again. I have no reason to.

[BigBruv]

 

 

 

Boring topic done to death.

 

It's over.  

 

Please find a new hobby.

 

[connda]

31 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Ah! Nice to see the old anti-vaxer rhetoric raise it's ugly head again. That was a big part of the get vaccinated or you're no good campaign. Not wanting to take an experimental 'vaccine' does not make a person an anti-vaxer. Tetanus. I'll have and have had the jab. Rabbies. I'll have and have had the jab. As for kids they should get their couse of jabs. I though will never have another mRNA jab for what is essentially a non-serious virul infection for the overwhelming % of the World's population from technology that has had no long term indepenent and has been shown to be able to cause serious side effects including death. Ok it might be rare by I'll never risk it. I have no reason to.

Agreed.  They are juvenile: 
"You're an anti-vaxxer! <sticks out tongue and wiggles fingers in ears>  "Mummy - make the bad man get a shot!  He's scaring me." <hides behind mummy's legs>

Actually - nope.  I work with a lot of animals, many strays, and I stay on top of my rabies and tetanus vaccines.  Nips, bites, and scratches happen. Rabies WILL kill you if you get it and I've no desire to get tetanus either.  I considered the Dengue shot and looked into it (having had it once - now that does hospitalize you!) but it's not recommended for someone my age. 
Flu vaccines?  Stop taking them two decades ago - and - haven't had influenza in two decades.  Their efficacy is poor at best.  I've no plans to ever take a Covid shot as they are All Hat And No Cowboy and all I've seen in 4 years is a lot of hype.  If flu and Covid shots ever actually stopped transmission for real, I'd be first in line (after the "sterilizing vaccines" have had 7 to 10 year of long-term safety testing).  But that ain't gonna happen in my life time. 

"Mummy - make the anti-vaxxer go away!!!"

[Robert Paulson]

Deaths increasing, shortages of hospital beds… etc

 

Youve got to be kidding me. I guess they just go on repeat because people believe it? 

[Ben Zioner]

Yes? And where are the vaccines?

[Ben Zioner]

Just now, Robert Paulson said:

Deaths increasing, shortages of hospital beds… etc

 

Youve got to be kidding me. I guess they just go on repeat because people believe it? 

You must be an expert epidemiologist?

[Robert Paulson]

32 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Ah! Nice to see the old anti-vaxer rhetoric raise it's ugly head again. That was a big part of the get vaccinated or you're no good campaign. Not wanting to take the covid 'vaccine' does not make a person an anti-vaxer. Tetanus. I'll have and have had the jab. Rabbies. I'll have and have had the jabs. As for kids they should get their course of jabs apart from the mRNA jabs. I though will never have another mRNA jab for what is essentially a non-serious virul infection for the overwhelming % of the World's population from technology that has had no long term independent studies and has been shown to be able to cause serious side effects including death. Ok it might be rare by I'll never risk it again. I have no reason to.

Yes. The herd like behavior of labeling people anti vax (even though many of the people they labeled that took the vax). Those must have been like the good ol days of being a mindless dupe

[Robert Paulson]

6 minutes ago, Ben Zioner said:

You must be an expert epidemiologist?

Believe this or not, critical thinking people can figure this stuff out before others. Did you miss the first rounds of covid? 

[Ben Zioner]

3 minutes ago, Robert Paulson said:

Believe this or not, critical thinking people can figure this stuff out before others.

You mean like Trump, who wanted to put people on dishwasher drips?

[Robert Paulson]

It really is too painful to watch even after all the real life data has been collected. It’s too painful to be apart of the same society of people who think these things. To me it would be like going to  any Yankees game and Yankees win, and there was a group of people walking out you are speaking with who insisted the Yankees lost. You can pull up the final score on espn on your phone or do whatever you’d like: but the Yankees lost folks. It’s almost slavador Dali surreal dum like