Coronavirus (Covid-19)
More pandemics to come if we don’t prepare for the future – WHO Chief

Today marks the first International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, and to some, such a day recognising the importance of thinking ahead, is long overdue. The WHO chief is warning that if preparations aren’t made for the future, more pandemics that rival Covid-19will follow.
Exactly 12 months today a number of mysterious respiratory cases presented at a hospital in Wuhan. Read more HERE.
The WHO’s Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says any attempts to improve human health are “doomed” without tackling climate change and animal welfare. He also condemned the “dangerously short-sighted” cycle of throwing cash at outbreaks but doing nothing to prepare for the next one.
“For too long, the world has operated on a cycle of panic and neglect”.
“We throw money at an outbreak, and when it’s over, we forget about it and do nothing to prevent the next one. This is dangerously short-sighted, and frankly difficult to understand.”
Tedros’ thoughts on the matter are only supported with data that was published before Covid-19 hit. The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board’s September 2019 first annual report on world readiness for health emergencies revealed that the planet was dangerously unprepared for potentially devastating pandemics.
“History tells us that this will not be the last pandemic, and epidemics are a fact of life.”
And, with Covid-19 serving as the predecessor for any other pandemics on a global scale, he says it has highlighted the intimate links between the health of humans, animals, and the planet. A link that has undoubtedly been overlooked for too long.
“Any efforts to improve human health are doomed unless they address the critical interface between humans and animals, and the existential threat of climate change that’s making our earth less habitable.”
Covid-19 has taken the lives of more than 1.75 million people with nearly 80 million cases on record since the outbreak first emerged in China 1 year ago.
Thailand saw the first cases of the novel coronavirus outside of China, and has largely kept the virus at bay ever since. However, in a turn of events just in time for the new year, the virus officially returned to the kingdom, sparking a second wave of infections that have dashed hopes of recovering the economy through tourism initiatives.
More than 1,200 mostly Burmese migrant workers have now been infected, centred around the Samut Sakhon seafood markets. The latest cluster has now spread to 31 other Thai provinces. 1,443 people have now tested positive for Covid-19 infection since the latest outbreak was detected 8 days ago.
Meanwhile, Tedros confirms that such a pandemic is more far-reaching than anyone could have guessed. From societal and economic consequences to issues becoming spotlighted that were not taken seriously before. As Thailand’s second wave has honed in on the illegal border crossings of migrant workers, it has also highlighted those in authoritative positions that are allowing such behaviours to continue.
But Thailand isn’t unique in its issues being thrust into the spotlight, as other nations are dealing with the same effects of the pandemic. Tedros, however, makes it clear that all countries should invest in “preparedness capacities” to prevent and detect such emergencies, while supporting “stronger primary health care provisions.”
The International Day of Epidemic Preparedness was set by the UN General Assembly to promote the importance of nations working together to tackle epidemics.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
CCSA Update: 59 new Covid-19 cases and 1 death

The new wave of cases has been on a downward slope in recent weeks. Today’s count of 59 new Covid-19 cases is the lowest daily count since mid-December. A coronavirus-related death was also reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing.
A 48 year old Thai woman died after testing positive for Covid-19. The woman worked as a driver for migrant workers. No other information was released about her in the CCSA’s English-language report. It’s unclear if she had pre-existing conditions.
Out of the 59 new Covid-19 cases, 28 are local transmissions, 23 cases were detected in proactive testing and 8 cases detected in quarantine for those entering Thailand from abroad.
Since the start of the pandemic, Thailand has reported a total of 12,653 Covid-19 cases and 71 deaths. The new wave of Covid-19 cases has spread to 62 of Thailand’s 77 provinces.

Active Covid-19 cases in Thailand as of January 19, according to Worldometers.
SOURCE:CCSA
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Economy
Shoppers disgruntled as registration for co-payment scheme fills up in 10 minutes

Social media users are up in arms after registration for the government’s Kon La Khreung (“Let’s Go Halves”) co-payment scheme filled up within 10 minutes. The scheme, first introduced as an economic stimulus measure in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, gives shoppers 50% off the purchase of everyday items, up to 150 baht a day and capped at 3,500 baht for the duration of the scheme.
The third phase of registration had a quota of 1.34 million users, but interested parties had to be quick. Having lost their chance to register, many disgruntled people took to social media to complain, with the hashtag #คนละครึ่งเฟส3 (#Let’s Go Halves3) trending on Twitter.
Several netizens say they filled out the online registration form at exactly 6.01am but were then forced to wait for the one-time password to be delivered to their phones before they could complete the process. In many instances, by the time they received the OTP code, registration was full. Some say they had to wait over 5 minutes to receive the password, which caused them to miss the small window for registration.
According to a Nation Thailand report, one person has described the scheme as nothing more than a government PR stunt, pointing out that, despite being funded by taxpayers’ money, only some people can avail of it.
SOURCE: Nation Thailand
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
AstraZeneca vaccine could be approved for emergency use in Thailand this week

Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration is likely to approve a Covid-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca in partnership with Oxford University as early as this week. The vaccine, already given the go-ahead in the US and UK, would be approved for emergency use, with administration likely to begin next month. Healthcare workers and those with underlying conditions will be prioritised.
Opas Karnkawinpong from the Disease Control Department says the FDA’s review of the vaccine’s efficacy and safety is going well. Thailand has fallen behind its neighbours in terms of vaccine administration, with a number of countries in the region already starting their roll-out. Indonesia kicked things off last week, with President Joko Widodo the first to receive China’s Sinovac jab.
Thailand is expected to take delivery of 200,000 doses of the Chinese vaccine next month, but questions linger over its efficacy, which was recently revised downwards by researchers in Brazil. The vaccine has not yet completed phase 3 trials and Thailand’s health officials say it may not gain FDA approval until February 14, as the manufacturer has no representation in the Kingdom.
Thailand has signed a technology-transfer agreement with AstraZeneca to produce that vaccine locally. The jab will be manufactured by Siam Bioscience, a pharmaceutical company owned by the Monarchy. Surachok Tangwiwat from the FDA says the doses currently subject to approval have been produced by other countries, but did not specify which ones, how many doses have been imported, or at what cost.
The AstraZeneca vaccine has completed phase 3 trials and has been shown to be 70% effective, less than the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. However, the World Health Organisation has previously stated that a vaccine only needs to be over 50% effective to meet the global threshold for regulatory approval.
SOURCE: Coconuts
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Fred glue
Sunday, December 27, 2020 at 11:51 am
If WHO” done there job in the first place we would not be in this mess, what do they get paid for.
Get another different professional organisation.
Slugger
Sunday, December 27, 2020 at 2:01 pm
Get another US president more like it.
preesy chepuce
Sunday, December 27, 2020 at 3:57 pm
Get another Chinese government to replace the CCP, more like it.
Dssk
Monday, December 28, 2020 at 1:37 pm
Get anothe rothschild and Rockefeller or wipe out all
What a damn people!
Tom
Sunday, December 27, 2020 at 12:06 pm
What does climate change or animal welfare have anything to do with pandemics. Control of people and nations is the goal of those behind this organization. I’ve read this tie to climate change and pandemics in other articles, control in a new wrapper is all it is.
preesy chepuce
Sunday, December 27, 2020 at 3:59 pm
Diseases come from animals, animals mix with humans in Chinese wet markets, as human population expands into areas where animals live, and human waste pours out into the environment, and human factories in large industrial developing countries with poor regulatory enforcement, guess who?
Jon
Sunday, December 27, 2020 at 12:10 pm
This isn’t a prediction, but a promise.
John
Sunday, December 27, 2020 at 1:46 pm
This is highly worrying – Tedros is a Deep State muppet who ran cover for their program in Africa. The concern here is that with very deadly bio-weapons in the arsenal, the question should be asked – was COVID just the warm up?
Denver Airport “Art Murals” anyone??
preesy chepuce
Sunday, December 27, 2020 at 4:01 pm
I blame the Martians, that Jim Henson was one of their secret operatives. Most of the world is just a hologram anyway.
John
Sunday, December 27, 2020 at 5:19 pm
Keep up the snidey rhetoric and lets hope it never happens – if it does people like yourself will unfortunately be the most in denial and the least prepared.
Ipaddressfunnycolors
Sunday, December 27, 2020 at 1:46 pm
well on the conspiracy forums, agenda 21 suggests the goal is to depopulate the planet to 500m people by 2030. The only way would be achieved is with bio weapons.
Many would say I’m just crazy. And maybe I am. Lol.
But, I don’t put it past those in power, who want to hold onto the power, to deliberately do something like this.
preesy chepuce
Sunday, December 27, 2020 at 4:03 pm
Well that will certainly get house prices down in Croydon.
Brian
Sunday, December 27, 2020 at 2:11 pm
The other day I accused The Thaiger of “pushing propaganda”, and I was told by staff that it was an insulting suggestion. Today, we see this article, which seems to be a paraphrased version of an article that appeared in the Bangkok Post. It looks like someone at The Thaiger read the Bangkok Post article and paraphrased it. Is that accurate?
If we search the web for the phrase “Tedros said all countries should invest in preparedness capacities to prevent, detect and mitigate emergencies of all kinds”, we can find hundreds of news web sites publishing the same thing. Bangkok Post was just republishing some story handed to them by AFP.
Needless to say, as pointed out by other commenters, the propaganda is steadily pushing a supposed link between the overblown virus and the supposed climate catastrophe that is nowhere to be seen, which is exactly what you would expect, since both fake media stories are pushed by the same people with the same goals in mind.
preesy chepuce
Sunday, December 27, 2020 at 4:02 pm
Everyone has the right to be insulted – some have more rights than others… especially in the pretend media. 😀
indisPC
Sunday, December 27, 2020 at 4:07 pm
You disagreed with the staff? I’m surprised they didn’t ban your email like they did me.
What’s hilarious is how they like this “ipaddressfunnycolors” guy run amok with conspiracy theories on every article, but disputing their articles with logical arguments and evidence results in censorship.
Install adblock today and together we can rid this world of the news media.
Toby Andrews
Sunday, December 27, 2020 at 10:43 pm
This WHO chief is paid $250.000 a year, and probably all his expenses tax free, and THIS is all he can announce! The donors are being short changed.
claptrap to demonstrate he is working, no more.