With the resurgence of COVID-19 in several countries and the relaxation of various measures in Thailand to strike a balance between "stopping COVID but not halting the Thai economy," experts unanimously agree that "Thailand will definitely face a second wave of COVID, and it will be more severe than the first!"

Although there have been no reported domestic infections for 78 consecutive days, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), which is at the forefront of disease prevention, control, and treatment, is prepared and has plans in place to respond.

Currently, while Thailand has not encountered any domestic infections, there remains a possibility of new cases arising within the country. The absence of reports does not equate to the absence of patients, as the reported global COVID-19 infection numbers are estimated to be ten times lower than the actual cases.

For instance, Vietnam, which had no reported infections for 90 days, eventually faced another outbreak. The source of this resurgence is still unknown, but it may stem from lingering cases within the country or the importation of the virus from abroad. Despite having quarantine facilities for incoming travelers, there may still be loopholes, and illegal entries into the country could occur.

“Thailand will definitely encounter new patients again; the likelihood is quite high. However, we hope it will not lead to a widespread outbreak. If an outbreak occurs, it will be limited in scope, allowing for effective disease control in a short time. The goal is not to have no patients at all but to contain any outbreaks to prevent them from spreading widely,” said Dr. Thanarak Pholpipat, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Disease Control (DDC).

A crucial factor in controlling the situation quickly and preventing widespread outbreaks, Dr. Thanarak stated, depends on the rapid identification of patients, swift disease investigation, and prompt tracking of contacts with infected individuals. This must cover everyone and bring them into quarantine. If this can be achieved, the disease can be effectively controlled. Additionally, the cooperation of local communities where cases are found is vital; if they cooperate well, Thailand may encounter patients without experiencing an outbreak.

 

Rapid surveillance and detection of infections focus on two areas: 1. Preventing imported infections from abroad in various types of "quarantine facilities" for a full 14 days, including at entry points such as airports, land borders, and seaports; and 2. Identifying domestic infections, where the key mechanisms for detection lie within "healthcare facilities" and "patients" themselves.

Patients exhibiting respiratory symptoms, fever, or clear cough, or those with flu-like symptoms should seek medical attention. Simultaneously, healthcare facilities must maintain stringent measures to identify infections, particularly among three specified groups: pneumonia patients, symptomatic healthcare workers, and clusters of respiratory patients.

To limit the spread of the disease, the government is fully prepared to respond promptly to any situation. Additional disease control operational units have been established in every province to facilitate rapid disease investigation and contact tracing.

Importantly, efforts will be made to contain the disease within specific areas and to close high-risk locations only when deemed necessary by disease control officials. “There will be no blanket closures of similar types of venues across the country,” avoiding a repeat of the measures taken during the first wave.

Moreover, proactive surveillance will be conducted by deploying mobile testing units to collect samples from local populations to detect COVID-19. This can test around 1,000 samples per day, such as testing individuals who visited the same shopping mall as an infected Egyptian soldier in Rayong province, where 6,501 individuals were tested between July 14-19, 2020, to ensure there are no other cases in that area.

As for the healthcare plan for treating patients, data from the end of June indicates that hospitals have 571 ICU beds, 11,206 isolation rooms for severe cases, and 10,349 general beds. Medical supplies, such as N95 masks, are prepared in excess of 1.12 million pieces, and high-grade medical PPE suits number over 511,000, with 350,000 distributed to hospitals and 150,000 reserved at the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) for emergencies. Additionally, there are 11,000 ventilators available.

In terms of medications, over 300,000 doses of Favipiravir, specifically for treatment, are reserved, along with other medications: 395,802 doses of Hydroxychloroquine, 673,222 doses of Chloroquine, 25,390 doses of Darunavir, 38,360 doses of Lopinavir/Ritonavir, 24,158 doses of Ritonavir, and 5,707 doses of Azithromycin.

Regardless of how prepared the response plan is, it remains a reactive strategy. The most crucial proactive measure is "prevention." At the individual level, people must continue personal protective measures, including wearing masks, frequent handwashing, avoiding crowded places, and using personal utensils for hot meals. At the organizational level, employees should work from home as much as possible, stagger work hours, implement screening measures for those with respiratory illnesses to stay home, arrange workspaces to maintain a distance of 2 meters, and consider ventilation strategies for enclosed spaces, as poorly ventilated areas pose a 19 times higher risk of disease transmission compared to open spaces.

Are the Thai people ready to cooperate in disease prevention and control? Recent surveys indicate that “preventive behaviors among Thais have decreased from 90% to 79%!”

SOURCE: www.bangkokbiznews.com