Thailand should expect to see a spike in Covid-19 cases as the country eases lockdown measures on Wednesday, a public health expert told Thai Enquirer. The important thing is that the public must "not panic," the expert added.
The country's hard-hit Covid-19 provinces, which has been under lockdown measures for over a month, will see a gradual easing starting on Wednesday including the reopening of malls and restaurants for dining-in.
Contrary to previous announcements, a government spokesman said that diners and staff do not have to be fully vaccinated to participate in the reopening.
"There's a bit of mix messaging but regardless of vaccination status, given how virulent the Delta variant is, there is going to be a spike in cases," said a professor of public health at Thammasat University.
"What we have to do is not panic when we see these cases because most of them will be mild or asymptomatic due to the vaccines, they will be able to quarantine at home," he said on condition of anonymity.
According to the professor, the Thai public must now make plans to live with Covid-19 in a post vaccination world.
"We cannot be like New Zealand and shut down over one or two cases, we will have to learn with it and acquire and create new vaccines that allows us to live with this disease. We are not quite there but we are close."
The professor said that the government has already begun the right messaging about living in a post-Covid world where vaccinations are regular and the disease is treated like the flu.
"What we cannot have is people or large sections of the population that hold out from getting vaccinations because of misinformation," he said. "Any vaccine will work to mitigate the disease right now, in a year we will have better ones that prevent most symptoms completely."
Inga kommentarer:
Skicka en kommentar