Thailand's MERS risk remains

BANGKOK, 22 June 2015 (NNT) - The Ministry of Public Health has confirmed the remaining risk of MERS case in Thailand despite a better condition of the Omani MERS patient.

At a press conference held at the Ministry today, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr. Wachira Pengjan said that the risk of MERS case in Thailand is still at the middle level due to travelers and medical tourists coming from risk countries. However, the measures to monitor the spread of the disease and to quarantine high-risk patients remain stern.

Currently, MERS suspects are categorized as in low risk or high risk, to whom different measures are adopted. Close monitoring as well as quarantine will be applied to the first group while the latter is subjected to close monitoring only. As for a concern that the number of MERS suspects could grow larger than the quarantine space, Dr. Wachira said the matter will be discussed later today.

He also mentioned the recovering state of Thailand’s first MERS patient who is being treated at Bamradnaradura Institute. The patient is now able to eat and reportedly has no temperature. His three relatives are now laboratory confirmed with no disease.

The Ministry of Public Health will be holding meetings with public hospitals and clinics in order to raise cooperation in patient screening and improve patient care and prevention system in line with the Communicable Disease Act. B.E. 2523 (1980).


-- NNT 2015-06-22

'... the risk of MERS case in Thailand is still at the middle level due to travelers and medical tourists coming from risk countries.' And still no plan to impose a temporary ban.

I'm not convinced that these are the only MERS cases in Thailand. Bumrungrad seems to be a district hospital for Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Emirates - and my last flight from Dubai to Bangkok was like a flying ambulance with people coughing in every seat. MERS has been in the Middle East for months and the experience from Korea is that hospitals are the main focus of the spread - so my guess is there's been undiagnosed or unreported cases for a while.

But 175 cases in Korea our of 50 million people is not really the end of civilization

'... the risk of MERS case in Thailand is still at the middle level due to travelers and medical tourists coming from risk countries.' And still no plan to impose a temporary ban.

Can I just ask how you would suggest to impose a temporary ban? And what would be the criteria? Ban all flights from Dubai/ Abu Dhabi/ Qatar? - all major international travel hubs between Asia/ Australia & Europe.

If people need to get somewhere, they will find a way.

I'm not convinced that these are the only MERS cases in Thailand. Bumrungrad seems to be a district hospital for Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Emirates - and my last flight from Dubai to Bangkok was like a flying ambulance with people coughing in every seat. MERS has been in the Middle East for months and the experience from Korea is that hospitals are the main focus of the spread - so my guess is there's been undiagnosed or unreported cases for a while.

But 175 cases in Korea our of 50 million people is not really the end of civilization

I'm not convinced any of the reported figures are true.

I worked in the gulf in a remote town when the first cases were being reported. During 2012 only one case was documented where I was, 1000km away in another city, however during that time a friend who worked in the local hospital was sent home due to a ward quarantine and it was speculated about 5 people had died. Nothing in the news. ME is not the best part of the world for getting all the facts from media

I'm not convinced that these are the only MERS cases in Thailand. Bumrungrad seems to be a district hospital for Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Emirates - and my last flight from Dubai to Bangkok was like a flying ambulance with people coughing in every seat. MERS has been in the Middle East for months and the experience from Korea is that hospitals are the main focus of the spread - so my guess is there's been undiagnosed or unreported cases for a while.

But 175 cases in Korea our of 50 million people is not really the end of civilization

I'm not convinced any of the reported figures are true.

I worked in the gulf in a remote town when the first cases were being reported. During 2012 only one case was documented where I was, 1000km away in another city, however during that time a friend who worked in the local hospital was sent home due to a ward quarantine and it was speculated about 5 people had died. Nothing in the news. ME is not the best part of the world for getting all the facts from media

Makes me wonder also. Travelers from the middle east have brought MERS to two Asian nations, however no reports from the middle east on cases in their countries. Many of us have worked in the middle east and when you go there: HIV, hepatitis and TB are denied entry. Would not be unreasonable for others to refuse mid east travelers on similar basis where MERS is concerned.

I'm not convinced that these are the only MERS cases in Thailand. Bumrungrad seems to be a district hospital for Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Emirates - and my last flight from Dubai to Bangkok was like a flying ambulance with people coughing in every seat. MERS has been in the Middle East for months and the experience from Korea is that hospitals are the main focus of the spread - so my guess is there's been undiagnosed or unreported cases for a while.

But 175 cases in Korea our of 50 million people is not really the end of civilization

I'm not convinced any of the reported figures are true.

I worked in the gulf in a remote town when the first cases were being reported. During 2012 only one case was documented where I was, 1000km away in another city, however during that time a friend who worked in the local hospital was sent home due to a ward quarantine and it was speculated about 5 people had died. Nothing in the news. ME is not the best part of the world for getting all the facts from media

Makes me wonder also. Travelers from the middle east have brought MERS to two Asian nations, however no reports from the middle east on cases in their countries. Many of us have worked in the middle east and when you go there: HIV, hepatitis and TB are denied entry. Would not be unreasonable for others to refuse mid east travelers on similar basis where MERS is concerned.

But how to do that?

Inform tourists they will not be allowed through immigration if they have MERS?

Ask them to apply for a visa first with a medical cert issued by their doctor?

In the meantime they contract it at the airport, and get on the plane unknowing like what happened with this guy..............I would hope that in almost all cases of this condition, the infected would not want to travel anywhere except to a hospital.

As for banning the Arabs from entering, you'll probably find Thailand want's their money too much, in fact I would not even be surprsied if Thailand started advertising as a destination for 'MERS' treatment............