Police strap on PPE gear after finding herbal drug for Covid at fatal road accident scene

Police stepped away from a man’s body who died in a road accident after they found the herbal medicine Fah Talai Jone, which is touted by many Thais to be an effective treatment for Covid-19. Those at the accident scene then dressed in personal protective gear as a preventative measure. An ATK test was later done on the body and it came back positive for the virus.

The man died at the scene after crashing his motorcycle into the back of a parked detached trailer around 9pm yesterday on Sukhumvit Road in the eastern province of Chanthaburi. A 52 year old man’s body was found straddling a Yamaha motorcycle after he crashed into a detached trailer parked on the side of the road.

When police found herbal drugs near his body, villagers fled the scene and police stepped back to put on protective gear. The body was taken to Prapokklao hospital for an autopsy and tested positive for Covid-19 on an ATK test.

Locals informed police that they saw the trailer driver, who was not there at the time of the crash, detach and park the rear end of his vehicle on the side of the road in the morning. The area is used as a parking lot, usually by trailer drivers, who stop there to rest and often park their trailers there overnight. The parking spot is located near a U-turn and is not well lit at nighttime, which is the cause of many accidents, according to locals.

“Fah Talai Jone,” or green chiretta, is a popular herbal medicine rumoured to prevent and combat symptoms of Covid-19. While the herb is known to be effective in treating the common cold and symptoms of acute respiratory infections, its effectiveness in combatting Covid-19 is still up for debate.

SOURCE: Khaosod