Thailand’s health officials ready for potential “second wave”

Thailand’s Public Health Ministry says although it’s hoping for the best, it is preparing for the worst, once the emergency decree is lifted. Acknowledging the risk of a “second wave” of Covid-19 infections as more restrictions are eased, Dr. Sukhum Kanchanaphimai says preparations are underway to ensure the country’s health system can cope.

Such preparations include 1.3 million doses of medication, including 300,000 Favipiravir tablets , and over 20,000 hospital beds on standby. The beds include over 10,000 for relatively stable cases, over 11,000 for serious infections, and 571 intensive care beds. A report in Nation Thailand says medics are preparing over a million N95 face masks and over 500,000 PPE suits, along with 11,000 respirators.

In addition to hospital officials making sure they’re ready, Thailand is continuing to work on a potential vaccine for Covid-19 , with 20 candidates so far undergoing animal testing, and human trials expected to begin sometime between now and October. Thailand is also collaborating with other countries who are already at the human testing stage, in order to speed up the process. If an effective vaccine is found, officials say it shouldn’t cost more than 900 baht.

Thailand has now gone more than 35 days with no new cases of local transmission. There are only 58 Covid-19 patients still undergoing hospital treatment, all of whom are stable and do not require respirators. The only new cases that continue to be detected are those in state quarantine, having arrived in the country from overseas. With limited exceptions, the Kingdom remains closed to international arrivals for the time being.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand