Thai Health: Don’t panic, coronavirus isn’t airborne

Thai Health said today that the 2019nCoV coronavirus is not airborne and urged the public not to panic. Dr Tawee Chotpitayasunondh, an advisor to the Department of Disease Control, says the virus has yet to infect people via airborne transmission. It is transmitted by droplets from coughing and sneezing, which although they can travel short distances through the air, rely on other factors, including, location, weather and proximity of the people infected.

The Ministry of Public Health encourages people to wear masks in public or crowded places, and to wash their hands regularly with soap and clean water or use hand sanitizers. The supply of surgical masks in the country remains adequate.

The Deputy Permanent Secretary for Public Health said today that the number of coronavirus cases in the country remains at 32 with zero fatalities. No new cases have been reported. Ten have recovered and been discharged from hospital.

UPDATE: As of 1:43pm the number of confirmed cases is reported at 33.

The Department of Disease Control reports that fluids have been isolated from blood samples of a taxi driver, who was Thailand’s first case of local transmission, and will be used to create antibodies for infected patients.

The coronavirus has now spread to 26 countries, infecting 40,553 people, with 40,171 cases confirmed in mainland China. The death toll from the outbreak has surpassed 1000 as of today, all but two in China.

Regarding the 138 Thai people evacuated from Wuhan last week, five are now being treated in hospital, while 133 others remain in quarantine until February 19. None of them has a fever or displays symptoms.

SOURCE: Chiang Rai Times