5,086 of 31,518 people in 40 of Bangkok’s most crowded communities, who were given rapid antigen tests by members of the Rural Doctors Society (RDS) between July 21st and 23rd, were found to be infected with COVID-19, representing an infection rate of 16.14%. Thai PBS World

13.35% of people in Bangkok's 40 most crowded communities have COVID-19

views  230

5,086 of 31,518 people in 40 of Bangkok's most crowded communities, who were given rapid antigen tests by members of the Rural Doctors Society (RDS) between July 21st and 23rd, were found to be infected with COVID-19, representing an infection rate of 16.14%.

The RDS said in its Facebook post that the infection rate is very high, compared to the 8.94% found in the first mass screening, undertaken between July 14th and 16th, when 1,777 of 19,871 people tested positive. Combining the two sets of active screening results, the average infection rate is 13.35% which is still high, it added

The RDS also said that those who were tested positive were immediately given secondary RT-PCR tests and then placed in home isolation, adding that several people were unable to get the RT-PCR tests after they had tested positive with rapid antigen kits.

The active mass screenings are a joint effort between the RDS and several provincial hospitals, to help ease the workload of medics in Bangkok.

Asked what can be done about this rapid surge in infections, the RDS admitted that there is not a ready-made solution or a single answer, adding that its members will brainstorm to try to find some solutions.



5,086 of 31,518 people in 40 of Bangkok’s most crowded communities, who were given rapid antigen tests by members of the Rural Doctors Society (RDS) between July 21st and 23rd, were found to be infected with COVID-19, representing an infection rate of 16.14%. Thai PBS World

13.35% of people in Bangkok's 40 most crowded communities have COVID-19

views  230

5,086 of 31,518 people in 40 of Bangkok's most crowded communities, who were given rapid antigen tests by members of the Rural Doctors Society (RDS) between July 21st and 23rd, were found to be infected with COVID-19, representing an infection rate of 16.14%.

The RDS said in its Facebook post that the infection rate is very high, compared to the 8.94% found in the first mass screening, undertaken between July 14th and 16th, when 1,777 of 19,871 people tested positive. Combining the two sets of active screening results, the average infection rate is 13.35% which is still high, it added

The RDS also said that those who were tested positive were immediately given secondary RT-PCR tests and then placed in home isolation, adding that several people were unable to get the RT-PCR tests after they had tested positive with rapid antigen kits.

The active mass screenings are a joint effort between the RDS and several provincial hospitals, to help ease the workload of medics in Bangkok.

Asked what can be done about this rapid surge in infections, the RDS admitted that there is not a ready-made solution or a single answer, adding that its members will brainstorm to try to find some solutions.



The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 662 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today with two new deaths, July 24th.- The Pattaya News

Chonburi announces 662 new and confirmed cases of Covid -19 with two deaths

Saturday, 24 July 2021, 10:08

Chonburi –

The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 662 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today with two new deaths, July 24^th.

289 people were also released and recovered yesterday in Chonburi.

This makes a total of 19,114 cases of Covid-19 in the current round of infections, with 8,580 still under medical care/supervision, and with a total of 94 recorded deaths in Chonburi since the start of this recent round of infections in early April. The details on yesterday's two new deaths were not given, which is standard for the health department.

Additionally, 10,440 people in total have now been released from medical care and recovered in Chonburi since this current wave began.

The district-level new cases were as follows today:

Mueang Chonburi 162, Si Racha 172, Banglamung (Pattaya) 127, Panat Nikhom 27, Sattahip 23, Ban Bueang 70, Pan Thong 26, Bor Thong 29, Ko Chan, 2, Nong Yai 4, and 20 new cases transferred from other provinces for medical care.

The details on the cases are as follows:

1. Cluster, a business in Mueang Chonburi(1), 19 cases
2. Cluster at Prime Production Industry Co.,Ltd., 12 cases
3. Cluster, a business in Panat Nikhom, 7 cases
4. Cluster, a business in Mueang Chonburi (2), 4 cases
5. A risky career, meeting a lot of people, 13 cases
6. 3 medical personnel
7. Central Festival Pattaya Beach, 4 cases
8. Provided a history of traveling to
   • Bangkok, 3 cases
   • Pathum Thani, 2 cases
   • Samut Prakan, 1 case
9. Honglin Electric Power Technology (Thailand) company in Rayong, 1 case
10. New Thai Wheel Manufacturing company in Rayong, 1 case
11. Close contacts of a confirmed patient
    • Family members, 184 cases
    • Co-workers at workplaces, 114 cases
    • Close persons in general, 30 cases
12. Close contacts of confirmed patients (under investigation), 122 cases
13. Under investigation in general, 142 cases

Note: New active case finding from people eligible in the Social Security system who did walk-ins, 14 cases (Total 162 cases so far from this method)

A total of 847 close contact searches were received today with 1,524 initial proactive searches, and more proactive search reports are pending.

There are currently, in Chonburi, clusters of Covid-19 at 15 establishments and five markets, 10 construction worker camps, and four communities.



Brev till Thailand och dess befolkning från Astra Zeneca. Pattaya News





With headlines across Thailand rightfully condemning the government for its slow procurement of Covid-19 vaccines and relying on inefficient vaccines, such as China’s SinoVac, it’s easy to forget that the battle of Covid-19 won’t be won this year and that long-term, stable access to effective vaccines is crucial for the country. However, one thing is certain: vaccine is the key instrument to control the virus, and the situation in Thailand will not improve until everyone has access to vaccines. Bangkok Herald

Thailand Vaccine Board Outlines 3-Prong Strategy for Ensuring Long-Term Covid-19 Vaccine Access

24 July 2021

With headlines across Thailand rightfully condemning the government for its slow procurement of Covid-19 vaccines and relying on inefficient vaccines, such as China's SinoVac, it's easy to forget that the battle of Covid-19 won't be won this year and that long-term, stable access to effective vaccines is crucial for the country.

The National Vaccine Board on Friday published an overview of its three-pronged strategy for doing just that, built around advance purchases of foreign vaccines, increasing technology transfers from overseas manufacturers to Thai pharmaceutical companies and cooking up its own vaccines to ensure enough supply.

The Vaccine Board's essay is below, edited only for style and syntax.

Thailand has working groups which have attempted to "put out the fire" in the dynamic and fast-paced Covid-19 situation.

As vital as firefighting is in a crisis, no country can retake control of the situation and end the crisis in this manner. Thailand, meantime, has the National Vaccine Board to coordinate a strategic approach, rather than trying to just survive a crisis.

A solid strategy is a consensus on the issues and how to address them. It will help to alter the crisis attributions and equip Thailand to better handle Covid-19 in the future. Hence, this article will elaborate on the four points that the National Vaccine Board seeks to promote to achieve a better tomorrow, which means looking beyond 2021.

Foreign Vaccine Purchases

First, Thailand continues making advance purchases from vaccine manufacturers. Although advance purchase agreements with vaccine producers are only a short-term solution, they are an efficient technique to assist the nation in obtaining a sufficient number of vaccines.

The primary advantage of expediting Thailand's access to Covid-19 vaccines is that it minimizes cumulative losses and promotes the country's economic recovery.

According to the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Thailand lost nearly 100 billion baht per month during the third wave of infections. So, to spare the country from future loss, Thailand has already begun discussions with the manufacturers of second-generation vaccines, which are predicted to be more effective against the virus.

If the world can't achieve herd immunity by the end of this year, there is a chance that the virus will continue to evolve. However, it is unlikely that Covid-19 will mutate to the point where vaccines become ineffective. A second-generation vaccine is expected for delivery in the first quarter of 2022.

Technology Transfer

Second, Thailand seeks to expand capacity through technology transfer. Since the early days, there has been a major fear that Thailand, a less-affluent nation unlikely to pioneer the Covid-19 vaccine, would be left behind, scrambling for scarce vaccine supplies.

Vaccine development is a complicated and long process by nature, but receiving technology transfers enables a more rapid and agile action.

While Thailand's Siam Biosciences has previously obtained technology based on viral vectors from AstraZeneca Plc., Thailand may also benefit from other platforms, such as the inactivated platform, the mRNA platform, or the protein subunit platform.

Each technology has its own set of advantages when it comes to working with the immune system to provide protection. Moreover, having a variety of vaccines as alternatives gives people more choices.

There are competent Thai vaccine makers who, if provided with the required technology and know-how, can manufacture Covid-19 vaccines. Thus, Thailand will continue negotiating to coordinate knowledge transfer in order to produce more Covid-19 vaccines locally.

At the moment, due to the scarcity of Covid-19 vaccines, manufacturers are under pressure to release their patents and provide critical manufacturing information to developing regions of the world. Thailand may seek to leverage the current situation by becoming a hub for the manufacturing of various sorts of jabs not only for domestic use, but also for export to neighboring countries.

Siam BioScience in Pathum Thani, wholly owned by the Crown Property Bureau, will locally manufacture the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine.

Developing Home-Grown Vaccines

Third, Thailand continues to work on developing home-grown vaccines. The scarcity of Covid-19 vaccines around the world, which places many countries in peril, proves that each country is solely responsible for its own population.

The domestic vaccine development program is a long-term solution to deal with tight global supply and gives Thailand more options with fewer constraints.

Thailand has some new promising "Team Thailand" vaccines on the horizon, such as ChulaCov19 from Chulalongkorn University using mRNA technology and NDV-HXP-S, an inactivated virus vaccine candidate, from a cooperative venture between the GPO and the American health non-profit unit called PATH.

The news of homegrown vaccines offers a welcome glimmer of hope after years of the pandemic, but translating this hope into effective action needs resources and support from the government.

When these locally developed vaccines are proven to be safe and effective in clinical trials, the government has to ensure that they are readily available immediately after the results of the trials.

For example, the Thai mRNAs Covid-19 vaccine's phase I human clinical trials began in mid-June. While the vaccine candidate's phase III trial may take some time to complete, by that time, the Thai regulatory authorities should have established the scientific requirements for vaccination safety, efficacy, and quality necessary to approve ChulaCov19 for emergency use.

Additionally, human trials need tens of thousands of people. Therefore, the government should support any chance of international collaboration to facilitate the process.

Because various variations are detected in various places, developing a home-grown vaccine is a longer-term commitment to securing health systems. Locally developed vaccines are vaccines that understand nations in the region. In this case, investing in "Team Thailand" means taking a long-term view and focusing on sustainability.

Other than directing towards adequate advanced purchasing, successful transfer of technology, and sufficient government investment in locally developed vaccine candidates, the National Vaccine Board also pays attention to additional concerns, such as the Covid-19 vaccines in children and pregnant women, and how well the vaccines work outside of a study when these groups actually receive the shots.

Moreover, it is not yet known how long vaccine-induced immunity against Covid-19 infection lasts in those who are vaccinated. The answer will help to decide the need for boosters of Covid-19 vaccines in the future.

The world must continue to fill these gaps as research is conducted, and knowledge improves. The Covid-19 situation is anything but constant and predictable. However, one thing is certain: vaccine is the key instrument to control the virus, and the situation in Thailand will not improve until everyone has access to vaccines.

Behövs ingen rubrik. Bilden säger allt. The Nation

 

😡😡😡😡👎👎👎👎Employees tested positive for Covid-19 forced to continue working. Sukon Suwansaksin the Village Chief of Chonburi City and related officials received complaints from villagers and factory workers. The complaints claimed that there are a lot of employees infected with Covid-19 at a metal parts company but were told to continue working. Thai Residents

Employees tested positive for Covid-19 forced to continue working.

Tanyaporn R.

July 24, 2021

Employees at a factory tested positive for Covid-19 but were forced to continue working. Sukon Suwansaksin the Village Chief of Chonburi City and related officials received complaints from villagers and factory workers. The complaints claimed that there are a lot of employees infected with Covid-19 at a metal parts company but were told to continue working. Instead of closing down the factory or letting infected employees quarantine, the factory continued to operate as usual. The Sanook news Team went to visit the factory and found employees carrying bags with plans to quarantine. Another group of employees stood in front of the factory and stated to the news team that they did not want to go inside. 

The news team asked employees about what was going on. Some employees were tested for Covid-19 tests and over 50 were confirmed positive. The factory itself then tested more employees and about 80-100 were confirmed positive for the virus. The factory continued to operate as usual. Some employees who had Covid-19 continued coming to work while some did not come to work with fear of spreading the virus. Employees at the factory are asking related sectors to help enforce safety measures as they are scared of getting Covid-19. The factory has not announced clear measures or plans on what will happen next. 

Banthid Sangchawalet a Village Leader in Moo 4, Nong Kang Kok Sub-district stated he had to stand in front of the factory as infected employees continued coming to work amongst those who don't have Covid-19. Banthid hopes that his actions will pressure the factory into taking actions to solve the issue. He has also notified related sectors and hopes officials will help set clear safety measures on what the next steps are. Chonburi officials have now ordered for the factory to temporarily shut down and for all employees to quarantine. 

Credit: Sanook