3 Phuket Discos Closed

[maichai40]

Thai TV news just said three discos in Patong will stay closed for 3 days from tonight. Probably the discos involved with the staff presumed H1N1 infection. Can anyone confirm this?

[baabaabobo]

Bangkok school fumigations; Phuket nightlife venues closes in virus response

BANGKOK, June 13 (TNA) - Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) officials on Saturday began cleaning and fumigating all 435 schools under the agency’s administration in the Thai capital, while entertainment venues in Thailand’s Andaman Sea resort province of Phuket have been asked to close for five days after an employee was found to have contracted the Influenza A(H1N1) virus, officials said.

Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said the two-day school cleaning campaign, ending Sunday, is aimed at preventing the spread of the flu to students under City Hall’s supervision.

The BMA campaign follows the H1N1 diagnosis Friday of a student of St. Gabriel’s College, a private school operated by the Roman Catholic Brothers of St. Gabriel in Bangkok’s Samsen district. A private tutoring school the school the student attended on the weekend will also be closed for a week to curb the spread of the disease.

Urging cooperation from all concerned state agencies, especially at border checkpoints, to help prevent the spread of the virus, Mr. Sukhumbhand said he had invited about 2,000 operators of Bangkok’s Internet cafes, school administrators, and the managers of malls and cinemas for a meeting on Monday.

He said they will be told of the danger of the disease and also be asked to help clean their business establishments properly in response to the virus, he said.

Mr. Sukhumbhand said BMA officials will join with the First Army Region in cleaning 431 temples in Bangkok during July 4-6. The campaign will start before Buddhist Lent which begins on July 8.

Meanwhile, entertainment establishments on Phuket Island were asked during a meeting Saturday to close their businesses for five days so that the owner would have enough time to clean and spray their places.

The request was made after an employee of one entertainment centre was found to have contracted the virus, becoming the first case to have been reported in the popular resort.

Blood tests on 26 employees of Phuket nightlife and other entertainment venues on the island believed to have come into close contact with Hong Kong tourists who returned home recently and were diagnosed with the virus, will be known later Saturday. (TNA)

-- TNA 13/6/09

[Thomas4432]

Hey,

So were any of the discos closed and how long are they for, do you know which ones? etc etc

Thanks

[Jimjim]

I think I'd rather contract the flu now while it's still relatively benign, considering if it gains deadly strength later on and spreads like wildfire things could get ugly.

[moskito]

cant they clean the discos at daytime?? better they shut down the whole <deleted>.....g island, closing the airport and the bridge should do it

I am going to stay home from now on........for the next year.....

by guys, have to hurry buying enough beer for a year

THANK GOD FOR THE INTERNET

[baht&sold]

Kudos... for setting ever 'higher' standards representing Expats in Thailand with every salacious (=cha-ching) 'breaking news' item...

[frogz]

Yes but, if you clean these places and close these places and then allow people in after five days, what's to say that someone may have contracted the virus in the five day period and then bring it back into the venue?

[ukrules]

Yes but, if you clean these places and close these places and then allow people in after five days, what's to say that someone may have contracted the virus in the five day period and then bring it back into the venue?

This is what will happen, the whole thing's an exercise in futility. It looks like someone is doing something to help.

In reality any carriers who are not yet ill will just go to different bars / discos and spread it there instead.

[sportsman69]

[ Quote ]

Urging cooperation from all concerned state agencies, especially at border checkpoints, to help prevent the spread of the virus, Mr. Sukhumbhand said he had invited about 2,000 operators of Bangkok's Internet cafes, school administrators, and the managers of malls and cinemas for a meeting on Monday

Isn't this what we are trying to avoid, unnecessary group meetings of a large number of persons in a confined location, recycling the same air. One with the bug arrives, the rest all take it home for free !!! Though it did not give the venue, maybe it's in the middle of a buffalo field in Nakon Nowhere, if so, that's good. Can't this very important meeting be achieved by teleconferencing or some other up to date method. Or is the junket to the venue the overriding factor together with all the perks that come with it.???. Hope they don't use the same bus company as the Krabi scenario. Better to get there late than dead on time.

That's my call.

ss

I intend to live forever.......................so far, so good

[moskito]

Isn't this what we are trying to avoid, unnecessary group meetings of a large number of persons in a confined location, recycling the same air. One with the bug arrives, the rest all take it home for free !!!

thats the point. The only way not to spread this flu is to avoid other people....STAY HOME just for some days or weeks or month.

Someone has a page with new numbers of victims the so called swine-flu (h1n1) reached yet?

Guess not any infected people is going to die.

But with all the other things atm like Denghue and Chikungunya fever and the traffic in Phuket there is a good chance.

[agudbuk]

I think I'd rather contract the flu now while it's still relatively benign, considering if it gains deadly strength later on and spreads like wildfire things could get ugly.

Exactly: let it rip and get it over with. Ain't no way of stopping iy in the long term.

[baht&sold]

The only thing which has changed from yesterday to today is the expected increase in the number of cases

(and levels of hysteria on some Expat tinfoil-hat dominated web forums).

What hasn't changed are the base facts:

-A H1N1 fatality rate is similar to normal seasonal flu

-Hospitalisation rate is similar to normal flu and severity is similar

-Most cases report mild symptoms, along with a +98% full recovery rate

-Thailand is no more or less immune from swine flu than the US, UK, Australia or the rest of the planet. Swine flu is presently no more or less dangerous than normal flu.

Do try to remain calm, rational, informed (despite some repeated attempts to profit from hysteria;) and take common sense precautions such as observing proper hygiene, washing hands frequently, avoiding touching one's eyes/nose/mouth, avoiding close contact with people with flu-like symptoms, and make the best of your day.

[animatic]

[ Quote ]

Urging cooperation from all concerned state agencies, especially at border checkpoints, to help prevent the spread of the virus, Mr. Sukhumbhand said he had invited about 2,000 operators of Bangkok's Internet cafes, school administrators, and the managers of malls and cinemas for a meeting on Monday

Isn't this what we are trying to avoid, unnecessary group meetings of a large number of persons in a confined location, recycling the same air. One with the bug arrives, the rest all take it home for free !!! Though it did not give the venue, maybe it's in the middle of a buffalo field in Nakon Nowhere, if so, that's good. Can't this very important meeting be achieved by teleconferencing or some other up to date method. Or is the junket to the venue the overriding factor together with all the perks that come with it.???. Hope they don't use the same bus company as the Krabi scenario. Better to get there late than dead on time.

That's my call.

ss

I intend to live forever.......................so far, so good

Worse yet this is taking people working in jobs with 'high levels of public interaction',

and grouping them together in a tight air-conditioned space.

This is like concentrating the vector possibilities to the MOST possible, rather than the LEAST possible.

Ye gads! Such lack of forethought... oops TIT.

Edited June 13, 2009 by animatic

[pagallim]

An emotive subject!! However, in my experience the biggest source of airborne (rather than intimate) virus transmission has been whilst flying. This has escalated during the past 10 years or so when most operators banned smoking on their aircraft (mainly on economic grounds due to the fuel savings made by recirculating cabin air rather than introducing a thru-flow ventilation of fresh air as happened when smoking was allowed). I'm not trying to justify the re-introduction of smoking on flights, more highlighting the practices of airlines at the moment. Not sure of the percentages, but as someone who did long haul at least twice a month for the past 10 years or so, maybe 80% of the time after a flight I'd feel like s**t for a few days, with flu like symptoms. Spending a long time in a recirculated air environment can't be good for anyone, and there's a good possibility that someone is going to end up with the same virus as any other of the 200+ passengers.

[HTWoodson]

The frightening thing about swine flu is not how deadly it is in it's current state (not much worse than the common flu). What is frightening is its rapid transmission and it's potential to mutate into a much more deadly state, similar to the 1918 Spanish Flu. The Spanish Flu circumnavigated the globe for a full year in a much more benign state before mutating into the killer that wiped out a large portion of the world's population.

Watch this 2007 video about flu pandemics, it is more scary now than ever.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/laurie_garrett_on_lessons_from_the_1918_flu.html

[YORKSHIREPUD]

What a load of codswallop, what the pharmaceutical companies will do to make a killing, Stop panicking and get on with your lives, it's a load of Bull***t

[ukrules]

What a load of codswallop, what the pharmaceutical companies will do to make a killing, Stop panicking and get on with your lives, it's a load of Bull***t

What about the previous pandemics ? Were they 'codswallop' too or is it just this one that you don't believe in ?

[LivinginKata]

Oh dear, this topic has rapidly been dragged downhill overnight. I have cleaned out all the posts not related to Thailand, outright flaming, and with no value whatsoever.

[BigSnake]

Good give them time to Chill out and clean up the place and their act. On a visit last month went to two Pubs/bars, toilets were filthy, use Condoms on sink, user fail to flush toilet

[teachermark]

What is it with the Discos??? .. First in Pattaya .. now in Phuket! Maybe the so called "Swine flu" should be renamed to the "Disco Flu" ... hel_l ! .. lets drag John Travolta out to to design a new "Flu Dance" to compliment it!

[buddyholly1]

An emotive subject!! However, in my experience the biggest source of airborne (rather than intimate) virus transmission has been whilst flying. This has escalated during the past 10 years or so when most operators banned smoking on their aircraft (mainly on economic grounds due to the fuel savings made by recirculating cabin air rather than introducing a thru-flow ventilation of fresh air as happened when smoking was allowed). I'm not trying to justify the re-introduction of smoking on flights, more highlighting the practices of airlines at the moment. Not sure of the percentages, but as someone who did long haul at least twice a month for the past 10 years or so, maybe 80% of the time after a flight I'd feel like s**t for a few days, with flu like symptoms. Spending a long time in a recirculated air environment can't be good for anyone, and there's a good possibility that someone is going to end up with the same virus as any other of the 200+ passengers.

I used to think like that, but recently I heard an expert say that air in planes is constantly replenished from outside and not just recirculated over and over, making planes no riskier than any other place. For me the problem is that the air is dry and causes dry eyes, nose and throat.

[steelepulse]

I love how the genius authorities don't name specific venues.  What's the story on that?

[RigPig]

So after reading most of the hype and "facts" (including CDC and WHO reports) would a fair summary be.....

At the moment it is just another flu except we don't have an immunity to it as yet as it is a new strain...correct?

The only thing to do is get bed rest and antibiotic's with paracetamol or some other form of relief?

Tami flu helps but doesn't cure it (is this available across the counter as a safe guard and at what cost?)

The pharmaceutical companies will have a vaccine ready after it is too late and has already mutated (distribution and costs are involved).

Stay home to limit infecting anyone else as a courtesy.

But is it better to catch it now and build up an immunity before it becomes a "super bug"? After all isn't that basically what a vaccine does anyway, it is just a "dead" version of the bug so that you build up anti bodies and your immune system can combat it when you do contract it.

[geriatrickid]

What a load of codswallop, what the pharmaceutical companies will do to make a killing, Stop panicking and get on with your lives, it's a load of Bull***t

How do you know the pharmaceutical companies will make a "killling"? Does this mean that the pandemic protocols that apply to the manufacture of vaccine will not apply? It is nonsense like yours that spreads rumour and false information. Here's the reality, Thailand like other countries will receive the the base active ingredient and formula that will allow the manufacture of vaccine for FREE. Thailand will not have to pay for that vaccine recipe.

The governments in in the west all have signed contracts with designated manufacturers at a set price. I do not know if Thailand did that. It is the equivalent of a nationalization of the industry, but it is done while keeping the pharmaceutical manufacturers private. The base prices negotiated were done long ago and most agreements were put in place subsequent to SARS. The price negotiated covers the cost of manufacture and compensates the manufacturers for downtime, i.e. when their other vaccine lines will not run. The manufacture of a vaccine is an expensive process in that specialized equipment costing millions of euro/dollars is used. Only a limited number of manufacturers can do this. It requires expertise and experience. People will not work for free during the manufacture, so they have to be paid too. The vaccine price will be lower than you think because one of the key agreements is a hold harmless if there are side effects. No manufacturer will put its existence at risk, unless there is a no fault compensation scheme or indemnification agreement in place.

In respect to the closing of the venues, this was SOP. The same thing happens on cruise ships when there is an outbreak of a contagious disease, e.g. Norwalk virus. The vessels are sidelined and washed down. The health department knows the premises may not be adequately cleaned. The 5 days is intended to allow the identification of infected staff in they event thay manifest symptoms before they return to work and infect others. It also ensures that any living viruses on surfaces will die before patrons enter the premises. Tthe closures are intended to protect workers as well as customers. I think the health department is to be commended for taking the tough decision. No bar owner wants to be closed down. If they could, the health department would close down all of the bars for 30 days, but it's impossible. Bar owners would be up in arms and thousands of people would be unemployed with no income, creating a bigger crisis.

If you want to see what the swine flu will look like in Thailand, have a look at Canada. This flu is now ravaging several northern native reserves. With poor sanitation, no running potable water, high density living often with more than 8 people sharing a cramped home, the flu has spread like wildfire. The absence of local medical facilities, no masks, no hand sanitizers, it's a gloomy situation. Go into the slums of Bangkok, and there you will see the prime area where thousands are at risk. You aint seen nothing yet, baby. If the flu takes off as expected by next January, I anticipate that a great many people calling this thing a sham, will be dead.

[baht&sold]

You aint seen nothing yet, baby. If the flu takes off as expected by next January, I anticipate that a great many people calling this thing a sham, will be dead.

Thanks for the helpful (?) prognosis- which should play very well with the seeming majority "We're always doomed" contingent here...

To the 'doomed' contingent, any plans for your potential final days on earth? Perhaps building an armour-plated biosphere to be occupied by 'like-minded' individuals to re-populate the planet? (brrr;) Would there be a minimum alarmist, tinfoil hat or UFOlogist type post count to qualify? One concern may be if the biosphere has it's own forum, the inhabitants may turn on each other as the continual one-upped hysteria within mounts (banned takes on a whole new meaning;) It would be a cruel twist if we on the outside were fine, but decided to keep sending manufactured scenes of utter chaos from outside to those inside (for OUR protection, should they get out again;)

Ah well, think I'll takes me chances on the outside, but thanks for the warning anyways and see you in Jan.

Chok dee

Edited June 14, 2009 by baht&sold

[RigPig]

So after reading most of the hype and "facts" (including CDC and WHO reports) would a fair summary be.....

At the moment it is just another flu except we don't have an immunity to it as yet as it is a new strain...correct?

The only thing to do is get bed rest and antibiotic's with paracetamol or some other form of relief?

Tami flu helps but doesn't cure it (is this available across the counter as a safe guard and at what cost?)

The pharmaceutical companies will have a vaccine ready after it is too late and has already mutated (distribution and costs are involved).

Stay home to limit infecting anyone else as a courtesy.

But is it better to catch it now and build up an immunity before it becomes a "super bug"? After all isn't that basically what a vaccine does anyway, it is just a "dead" version of the bug so that you build up anti bodies and your immune system can combat it when you do contract it.

Well a bit more research and Antibiotics are useless as they are only good for bacterial infections and from what I can see Tamiflu or Relenza (not recommended for various reasons from what I can make out) are the only antivirals available. So how available is Tamiflu, can it be bought accross the counter, and at what cost?

Otherwise there is nothing that can be done until a vaccine is available (I don't believe yet), so grit your teeth and bare it? Is this the answer?

[TheBrit]

All disco's were open last night

TB

[teachermark]

The only thing to do is get bed rest and antibiotic's with paracetamol

Influenza is a virus .. antibiotics have no effect. They only work with bacterial infections such as food poisoning, blood poisoning and the clap! Don't waste your time trying to tell Thais that though .. they swallow the "red and black" antibiotics by the handfull everytime they get a sniffle.

[SantiSuk]

Who knows whether you are right or wrong baht & sold, but your posting certainly stimulated the odd guffaw or two here

[erobando]

If you want to see what the swine flu will look like in Thailand, have a look at Canada. This flu is now ravaging several northern native reserves. With poor sanitation, no running potable water, high density living often with more than 8 people sharing a cramped home, the flu has spread like wildfire. The absence of local medical facilities, no masks, no hand sanitizers, it's a gloomy situation. Go into the slums of Bangkok, and there you will see the prime area where thousands are at risk. You aint seen nothing yet, baby. If the flu takes off as expected by next January, I anticipate that a great many people calling this thing a sham, will be dead.

Well, yes. Developing countries and poorer people are going to suffer more from any diseases... inadequate healthcare, more likely to have other conditions, poor nutrition, etc.

But neither the WHO or CDC "expects" the flu to "take off" Janauary.

The more it spreads, the more likely a more dangerous mutation occurs... so that's why precautions have been taken to control the spread. But given the fact that such deadly occurance of influenza only happened once in the last 100 years, I'd say it's likelihood is not too high.

Health officials and governments have been rightly people to be cautious... wash hands regularly, stay home when sick... sensible advice in any time.

But others have interpreted this as it's time to panic.

What is more likely is that this current form will continue to spread.

And it will probably spread more in Thailand than some other countries. A factory worker in Thailand might not think they have enough job security to stay home when sick... People tend to live in larger groups... And IMO Thai people in gerneral tend to be kind of lax regarding general safety. If people don't do simple things such as use a seatbelt or use a mosquito net, I would expect them to wash hands more frequently or use a separate serving spoon for each dish when eating family style.

So, yes. It will spread, but more likely in it's present form than in a more virulent form.

That still won't be good... it won't help the economy at all. But a killer flu is nothing close to inevitable.

Also FWIW, "flu season" in Thailand varies by region. But, in general, influenza cases start to rise in the dry hot season of (April/May) and then peak in August, dropping steadily until December.

I would expect the same to happen with the current Influenza 2009.

http://www.waset.org/pwaset/v26/v26-41.pdf