Health Covid Cases Surge: Chula Expert Sounds Alarm on Rapid Spike

[webfact]

Dr Thira Woratanarat. File photo

 

Thailand is witnessing a significant surge in Covid-19 cases, with Chulalongkorn University reporting 111,472 new cases and 31 deaths in the last week alone.

 

Dr. Thira Woratanarat of the Faculty of Medicine at the university has warned that this uptick should not be taken lightly. The total number of people who have sought treatment in 2025 has now surpassed 400,000, with Covid-related deaths exceeding those from influenza threefold.

 

According to Dr. Thira, the spike is attributed to several factors, including the spread of the highly infectious Nimbus (NB.1.8.1) variant, declining immunity levels, and a lack of preventative measures.

 

He highlighted the importance of maintaining vigilance, particularly in Thailand's elderly population, which is especially vulnerable. The professor insists that people should refrain from equating Covid-19 to the common cold or flu, as doing so could lead to complacency and a greater risk of infection.

 

Dr. Thira stresses that infected individuals should not continue with their everyday activities, urging them to stay away from workplaces and educational institutions to help curb the virus's spread.

 

The combination of widespread infections in both urban and rural areas, along with other risk factors, could lead to a significant outbreak, especially in high-risk settings such as schools, universities, offices, childcare centers, and elderly care facilities.

 

The professor's urgent appeal includes taking preventive actions, seeking appropriate medical care, and avoiding close contact with symptomatic people.

 

Dr. Thira's cautionary message aims to steer public behavior towards more cautious and responsible actions in light of the current health crisis.

 

His call for increased awareness and proactive measures highlights the importance of community effort in mitigating the spread of the virus.

 

As the situation develops, vigilance and adherence to recommended safety protocols remain crucial in managing and reducing Covid-19 cases in Thailand.

 

The recent surge serves as a stark reminder that despite past progress, the fight against Covid-19 is far from over.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-06-10

 

 

[daveAustin]

55 minutes ago, webfact said:

The total number of people who have sought treatment in 2023 has now surpassed 400,000

2023?

 

55 minutes ago, webfact said:

Dr. Thira stresses that infected individuals should not continue with their everyday activities, urging them to stay away from workplaces and educational institutions to help curb the virus's spread.

Nonsense. Rest if you’re sick but you will not curb the spread, just prolong it.  Everybody will probably pick it up. Doctors and fearmongering!

[dinsdale]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The recent surge serves as a stark reminder that despite past progress, the fight against Covid-19 is far from over.

 

Like saying the fight against the common cold is far from over. Both endemic non-severe viral infections that ain't going away.

[blaze master]

4 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Like saying the fight against the common cold is far from over. Both endemic non-severe viral infections that ain't going away.

 

Why is this only happening in thailand ? I don’t hear any other news about it around the world. 

[Emdog]

25 minutes ago, blaze master said:

 

Why is this only happening in thailand ? I don’t hear any other news about it around the world. 

Good question, so I looked up as best I could. USA had 201 deaths week of May 11... here's more info FWIW

https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/weekly-covid-deaths

[blaze master]

2 minutes ago, Emdog said:

Good question, so I looked up as best I could. USA had 201 deaths week of May 11... here's more info FWIW

https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/weekly-covid-deaths

 

Looks extremely low for pretty much the entire planet now. As per all the yellow. 

 

Thanks for the link.

[Dan747]

Hard to believe that many cases in the land of the "WAI!" Maybe Chinese tourists?? Hope it does not ruin my trip in Oct. Good Luck.

[WEBBYB808]

1 hour ago, blaze master said:

 

Why is this only happening in thailand ? I don’t hear any other news about it around the world. 

Then you haven't  been reading  the mews or seeing media in other countries.   Example China is very bad.  People just dropping.  They still went to work sick, just as Thais will if no one subsidies their needs.

[blaze master]

2 minutes ago, WEBBYB808 said:

Then you haven't  been reading  the mews or seeing media in other countries.   Example China is very bad.  People just dropping.  They still went to work sick, just as Thais will if no one subsidies their needs.

 

You have recent videos of people.juat dropping id love to see. 

[kevden]

0.0278096742% death rate. No death would be better, but let's not forget what was done last time. 99.9721903258 is a pretty good survival rate with most diseases. 

[transam]

5 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Like saying the fight against the common cold is far from over. Both endemic non-severe viral infections that ain't going away.

I think you must hold the record for getting Covid, 8 times, perhaps you could tell us all what you were doing wrong.........🤒

[faraday]

4 hours ago, WEBBYB808 said:

Then you haven't  been reading  the mews or seeing media in other countries.   Example China is very bad.  People just dropping.  They still went to work sick, just as Thais will if no one subsidies their needs.

Not according to the SCMP.

 

https://www.scmp.com/topics/coronavirus-china?module=inline&pgtype=article

 

Or China Daily...

 

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Everybody will probably pick it up. Doctors and fearmongering!

I didn't get it last time and will take the same care not to get it this time.

[sandyf]

6 hours ago, blaze master said:

 

Why is this only happening in thailand ? I don’t hear any other news about it around the world. 

It was headline news in the UK some days ago as this variant was confirmed in England.

Thailand was listed as one of the main hotspots, alongside everyones favourite nation.

[Drumbuie]

Despite taking precautions I went down with COVID last week *- only the second time I've had it and very different from the first. Only wiped out for two days, not a week. 

 

However I still recommend putting some effort not getting it. Those two days were worse than any cold or ' flu.Plus there is good evidence ( actual scientific studies, not some quack on YouTube or RFK Jr) that repeat infections take a cumulative toll on the body, particularly the heart. 

 

* Probably caught from a friend just returned from the UK. 

[2long]

 

[dinsdale]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

I didn't get it last time and will take the same care not to get it this time.

How do you know you weren't exposed? This virus ranges from severe symptoms for those at risk to no symptoms/asymptomatic i.e. you don't know you've been exposed because you have no symptoms.. 

[Ray60]

8 hours ago, blaze master said:

 

Why is this only happening in thailand ? I don’t hear any other news about it around the world. 

same in Singapore and Hongkong, but in most other countries they ignore it or don't release such info (China).

[jvs]

Our gardener was coughing last week,he went and got himself tested, Covid.

He got over it in a few days.

I got it too and felt very sick for a few days,cold,hot and pain in most parts of my body.

Seems to be getting better,now the lady in the household is in bed with fever and a sore throat.

It is what it is.

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, dinsdale said:

How do you know you weren't exposed? This virus ranges from severe symptoms for those at risk to no symptoms/asymptomatic i.e. you don't know you've been exposed because you have no symptoms.. 

 I took regular tests which all were negative... next

[Marco100]

I got it n i know it cauz it ruined my blood test n it spiked some numbers . I was asymptomatic.  Now got to do test again the 3d time 😂 . So if u got to do blood test for what ever reason take a Covid test before doing it or u throw money fr nothing . 

[jesimps]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

I didn't get it last time and will take the same care not to get it this time.

I caught it for the first time last month. It put me on my back for over a week, so if it's the non-severe version of Covid, I'm glad I avoided the main event. It was easily as bad as the worst case of flue I've had in the UK. I very rarely go out and think I caught it from a young girl who brought it into our house from school. My wife caught it too and suffered just like me. 

[dinsdale]

3 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

 I took regular tests which all were negative... next

You were regularly testing for Covid-19 even though you had no symptoms? Why?

Behind a paywall but the point is clear.

Rapid COVID tests miss 90% of asymptomatic cases

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02254-9

 

 

[rattlesnake]

2 hours ago, Drumbuie said:

Despite taking precautions I went down with COVID last week *- only the second time I've had it and very different from the first. Only wiped out for two days, not a week. 

 

However I still recommend putting some effort not getting it. Those two days were worse than any cold or ' flu.Plus there is good evidence ( actual scientific studies, not some quack on YouTube or RFK Jr) that repeat infections take a cumulative toll on the body, particularly the heart. 

 

* Probably caught from a friend just returned from the UK. 

 

How many Covid vaccines have you had?

[rattlesnake]

28 minutes ago, jesimps said:

I caught it for the first time last month. It put me on my back for over a week, so if it's the non-severe version of Covid, I'm glad I avoided the main event. It was easily as bad as the worst case of flue I've had in the UK. I very rarely go out and think I caught it from a young girl who brought it into our house from school. My wife caught it too and suffered just like me. 

 

How many Covid vaccines have you had?

[rattlesnake]

1 hour ago, jvs said:

Our gardener was coughing last week,he went and got himself tested, Covid.

He got over it in a few days.

I got it too and felt very sick for a few days,cold,hot and pain in most parts of my body.

Seems to be getting better,now the lady in the household is in bed with fever and a sore throat.

It is what it is.

 

How many Covid vaccines have you had?

[johng]

2 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

 

How many Covid vaccines have you had?

As they are so "safe and effective"

are we even allowed to ask that question...surely the science has proven that  multi jabbing works....

only those dastardly anti-vaxers  get covid 

[transam]

30 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

You were regularly testing for Covid-19 even though you had no symptoms? Why?

Behind a paywall but the point is clear.

Rapid COVID tests miss 90% of asymptomatic cases

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02254-9

 

 

Certainly missed you, an 8 timer.................

 

My friend is 83, he is on his deathbed, we have been waiting for him to go for many months, his wife called me the other day to say he has Covid, I asked how could he get it, he is never out of bed. She said the boy next door has it.......Hmmmm, puzzling.

 

But, he has not popped off with it, and I have staying away for a week or so....🤗

[blaze master]

2 hours ago, sandyf said:

It was headline news in the UK some days ago as this variant was confirmed in England.

Thailand was listed as one of the main hotspots, alongside everyones favourite nation.

 

If you refer to the link one poster put up it shows extremely low levels on almost the entire planet.

 

 

 

[johng]

4 minutes ago, blaze master said:

extremely low levels on almost the entire planet.

 

Hence the need for "boosters"

masks,social distance,new normal abnormalities..and world wide shutdown  as before..because it worked  remember ?