Picture: Daily News
Top Thai virologist Dr Yong Poovorawan painted a grim picture of the potential for harm from Thailand's Covid-19 response coupled with the emergence of the UK variant of the virus.
Daily News called it a scary assessment.
Dr Yong of Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok was speaking after 24 cases of the faster spreading UK variant emerged in mostly asymptomatic people at Thong Lor nightclubs.
He said that the spread of the virus of this strain was 1.7 times faster.
But he went further comparing this year to last year.
Last year there was lockdown, curfew, no alcohol being sold, widespread shop closures, schools closed everywhere and Songkran was cancelled.
This year the situation was completely different.
He said that with ten times more virus about, ten times less restriction then things would be 100 times worse.
Coupled with the new variant he said that this wave would be 170 times worse than last year.
Of particular concern was the fact that many young people - perhaps full of the virus but asymptomatic - could be taking the virus back to their homes up country where they would pass it on to the vulnerable elderly at ceremonies pouring lustral water on the hands of respected elders.
He was greatly concerned by the spread of Covid at Songkran and the consequences for the country after the holidays that begin next week.
He continued to press for more speed in the vaccine rollout while cautioning that infection can still be passed on by vaccinated people.
He sought to allay fears about blood clots from vaccinations.
But his other messages were anything but reassuring, notes Thaivisa, as new measures to possibly prevent interprovincial travel and re-designate the color of seriously affected zones are due to be announced by the CCSA today.
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