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After criticism that the Thai government is taking too long to start mass Covid-19 immunisation, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced that 19 million people will be vaccinated in the first phase of inoculations starting next month.

Vulnerable groups and frontline workers in areas at the highest risk of infection are first priority. Out of the 19 million people to be vaccinated in the first phase, Prayut says 11 million will be people over the age of 60, 6.1 million people with underlying conditions and 1.7 million people who work in the medical field. Another 15,000 government workers involved in managing the virus will also be vaccinated in the first phase.

Prayut says the first phase will start with 50,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which has been approved by the government for emergency use. Altogether, the Thai government secured 26 million doses from AstraZeneca and reportedly reserved another 35 million doses. The Thai firm Siam Bioscience is planned to produce the vaccine locally by June.

Thailand also ordered 2 million doses of China’s Sinovac Biotech vaccine and the first shipment of 200,000 doses is expected to arrive next month.

There was no timeline announced for the first phase of immunisation. Head of the government’s vaccine management committee, Sophon Mekthon, told Reuters that the time frame depends on the capacity of hospitals administering the vaccines as well as the number of doses they receive.

SOURCE: Reuters

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756 new Covid-19 cases were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand now has 4,858 active cases. The CCSA has reported a total of 16,221 cases and 76 deaths since the start of the pandemic last year.

The spike in cases over the past few days is due to a mass testing campaign in Samut Sakhon, according to spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Natapanu Nopakun, who also represents the CCSA.

“Don’t be alarmed by the high number of confirmed cases for today… most of it is from active case finding.”

Out of the 756 new cases, 724 were detected in active case finding. The majority of active Covid-19 cases in Thailand are asymptomatic. In many cases, people came in contact with the virus at social gatherings or workplaces like factories, according to Natapanu.

No new cases have been reported in 61 provinces in the past week. Those provinces are now considered so-called “safer zones.”

Samut Sakhon remains the only high risk area. In Bangkok, the Covid-19 situation is under control, but needs to be monitored, Natapanu says. Those who are sick with pneumonia or a respiratory infection will now be tested for Covid-19 as a precaution.

Active Covid-19 cases in Thailand as of January 27, according to Worldometers.

SOURCE: CCSA

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A Covid-19 nasal swab test isn’t pleasant. Many will say the long stick inserted deep inside the nasal cavity feels like it’s hitting their brain. A method arguably much more discomforting is now being used in some cities in China… an anal swab test. And, they say, it’s more effective at detecting a coronavirus infection.

After a Covid-19 infection was detected at primary school in Beijing, more than 1,000 teachers, staff members and students were tested using the anal swab method as well as the usual nose and throat swab tests. For the anal test, a cotton swab is inserted around 3 to 5 centimetres into the anus and then gently rotated around.

Beijing officials say anal swab samples were also taken from people living in neighbourhoods with Covid-19 cases as well as those in quarantine facilities.

Since the virus is detectable on faecal samples for a longer time than the respiratory tract, the anal tests can “increase the detection rate,” according to respiratory and infectious disease doctor Li Tongzeng.

An official in the Weinan, a city in the northern Shaanxi province, says a 52 year old man whose symptoms of cough and appetite loss tested negative for Covid-19 in a throat test. He then tested positive using nose and anal swab tests, according to the city official.

SOURCES: Reuters | AFP

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