Mask Time Again?

[Dazinoz]

Obviously still see a few people wearing masks. I went to Chiang Mai RAM Hospital yesterday and every staff member in view were wearing masks and so were a lot of the patients there.

 

Anything I have missed about Chiang Mai?  I know covid is on the rise again in certain areas of the world.

[Tropicalevo]

People in SE Asia were wearing masks long before Covid and will be wearing them a long time after.

[simon43]

11 minutes ago, Dazinoz said:

Obviously still see a few people wearing masks. I went to Chiang Mai RAM Hospital yesterday and every staff member in view were wearing masks and so were a lot of the patients there.

 

Anything I have missed about Chiang Mai?  I know covid is on the rise again in certain areas of the world.

Hellooooo!  It's a hospital.  Sick people go to hospitals where the staff have to breathe in their germs and airborne bacteria.  If I were a doctor I'd be wearing a hazmat suit every day!... 🙂

[Dazinoz]

4 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Hellooooo!  It's a hospital.  Sick people go to hospitals where the staff have to breathe in their germs and airborne bacteria.  If I were a doctor I'd be wearing a hazmat suit every day!... 🙂

Durrr. I didn't know that. I have been to RAM many times since COVID and mask wearing was not as prevalent as yesterday.

Edited July 27 by Dazinoz

[Dazinoz]

5 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

People in SE Asia were wearing masks long before Covid and will be wearing them a long time after.

Yes, I am aware of that. Been to RAM hospital many times since covid but never seen mask wearing as prevalent as yesterday.

 

[Lorry]

There is a thread on covid cases going up again,  @TallGuyJohninBKK is always uptodate.

[Dazinoz]

3 minutes ago, Lorry said:

There is a thread on covid cases going up again,  @TallGuyJohninBKK is always uptodate.

Thanks for the helpful update instead of coming on here and being sarcastic to someone who asks a genuine question.

[Lorry]

1 minute ago, Dazinoz said:

Thanks for the helpful update instead of coming on here and being sarcastic to someone who asks a genuine question.

I have never completely unmasked.

 

I always have used a mask:

in a taxi (extremely confined space - BTW most taxi drivers in Bangkok have always worn a mask, too)

in a lift (same reason)

in a hospital (see Simon's post)

 

Usually also in the BTS and 7/11, especially if crowded 

Often in BigC

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

During the height of the pandemic, we used to get province specific COVID case data from the Thai government. Alas, these days, we no longer do.

 

At the countrywide level, reported new COVID hospitalizations peaked at almost 3,300 per week about one month back, and subsequently have fallen down to about 1,000+ per week as of the latest weekly report. So things have improved greatly lately according to the official reports in terms of COVID hospitalizations.

 

But that 1,000+ COVID hospitalizations per week rate is still about double what the comparable number was back in mid-March at the start of Thailand's spring 2024 COVID surge. And almost double what the comparable number was at the start of 2024...

 

So, things are much better than they were a month ago, but still worse than at the start of 2024 or even earlier this spring.

 

FWIW, a lot of the current hospitalizations reportedly are among older/elderly folks. Almost certainly, there are huge numbers of other, younger people in Thailand coming down with COVID infections that are not officially tested or diagnosed with COVID, and just ride things out at home and/or at work, and potentially spreading the virus around.

 

Just as one illustration of that, back in May, when Thailand was reporting about 1,800 new COVID hospitalizations per week, a prominent Chula doctor specializing in COVID estimated that the country might be running as many as 18,000 new COVID infections per day!

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1327863-doctor-warns-of-surge-in-covid-infections-up-to-18000-cases-daily/

 

Which is a pretty good argument for wearing face masks when around other people who may have COVID infections like in a hospital, and/or in general crowded indoor areas with a lot of people in close quarters.

 

 

 

Edited July 27 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[stats]

A trolling / flame post has been removed.

 

[digbeth]

Some government hospitals insist on everyone wearing masks before entering still

[PPMMUU]

It’s cold and flu season.

[BangkokReady]

Covid was a permanent thing for many Thai people.  Especially where foreigners are involved.  Don't be surprised to see Thais wearing masks and talking about covid in 50 years from now, long after the rest of the world has forgotten it.

[Caldera]

Again? Many people have never stopped wearing masks. Whatever their individual reasons may be.

[Sheryl]

Mask wearing remains common in hospitals (required in some) and has increased now due to cold/flu season.

 

It is always a good idea in hospitals to both mask and use hand sanitizer. 

 

 

[redblue]

There is a current Covid outbreak in the US. See https://www.cbsnews.com/news/map-covid-levels-states-summer-2024/

[Sandboxer]

35 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

It is always a good idea in hospitals to both mask and use hand sanitizer. 

Should we take out own Cool-Aid too?^^

[daveAustin]

9 hours ago, Lorry said:

I have never completely unmasked.

 

I always have used a mask:

in a taxi (extremely confined space - BTW most taxi drivers in Bangkok have always worn a mask, too)

in a lift (same reason)

in a hospital (see Simon's post)

 

Usually also in the BTS and 7/11, especially if crowded 

Often in BigC

Each to their own but the only time I wear is on a flight, mainly to stop drying out so much.

[daveAustin]

14 hours ago, simon43 said:

Hellooooo!  It's a hospital.  Sick people go to hospitals where the staff have to breathe in their germs and airborne bacteria.  If I were a doctor I'd be wearing a hazmat suit every day!... 🙂

A smurf in a hazmat suit, eh? 😋

[Rob Browder]

11 hours ago, Dazinoz said:

Thanks for the helpful update instead of coming on here and being sarcastic to someone who asks a genuine question.

Not being sarcastic - for a fully-airborne respiratory virus like covid, even an N-90 mask is like using a chain-link fence to stop gnats. 

OTOH, there are other pathogens which are spread by contact and droplets, and masks and hand-sanitizer can help prevent catching those. 

[connda]

12 hours ago, Rob Browder said:

Not being sarcastic - for a fully-airborne respiratory virus like covid, even an N-90 mask is like using a chain-link fence to stop gnats. 

OTOH, there are other pathogens which are spread by contact and droplets, and masks and hand-sanitizer can help prevent catching those. 

I'll be honest.  I think sick people, especially those with coughs and sneezing, should wear masks.  Under those conditions I wear a mask too - to protect others for the water droplets that are exhaled and contain pathogens.  And honestly it ticks me off when sick people who are snottering and coughing don't wear one. 

With that said, outside of being sick myself, I refused to wear masks because as noted by Rob Browder, if you understand the size of viruses as compared to the filtration capability of the cloth and paper masks used by most people?  It's like "using a chain-link fence to stop gnats."  Then let's not even talk about the gaping holes around the edges of the cloth and paper masks 97% of the people wear.  Imho - they make people "feel" safe but imho it is a false sense of security.  FYI - I didn't contract Covid until my wife contracted it, and then it was impossible to get away from the viral load in the house and car.  So I came down with Covid in August 2023 and spent 4 days with a mild Covid "flu."  No shots so I enjoy - and trust - my body's natural immunity. But I never wore masks. And I still refuse to wear a mask because I see the fear of respiratory pathogens to be irrational and bordering on being a phobia.  Respiratory pathogens aren't any different before 2020 then they were after 2020.  And I never wore a mask before 2020.  Don't see a reason to wear one now - unless I myself am ill, then again - I do it to protect others.

Regarding RAM?  My guess is that employees are required to wear masks by RAM's management.  I know my own doctor there has been wearing a mask since post 2020.  She always wears one.  That's fine.  But honestly folk - if you are really, really worried about filtering out airborne pathogens?  Then at least wear a mask that works, i.e., one like a 3M P100 which has a close fitting face-piece and filters 100% of PM2 which is sorta virus size (psst - but viruses are still smaller).  I carry the mask in the car in the off-chance that the only way I can see a doctor or dentist is by wearing a mask.  Then I used a P100.  If you're going to pretend that everywhere in the world is now a bio-hazard risk, then at least wear the equipment to fits the narrative, imho.