virus

  • Covid-19 NewsChina now battling an outbreak of bird flu in Hunan

    China now battling an outbreak of bird flu in Hunan

    On top of the growing Coronavirus outbreak and efforts of authorities to contain the spread, Chinese officials have now reported a case of the potent H5N1 bird flu in Shaoyang city in central China’s Hunan province. The province is south of Hubei but the outbreak of bird flu is unrelated to the Wuhan coronavirus. Avian influenza, aka. H5N1, avian flu…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE – Confirmed cases exceed 17,000, 362 deaths

    Coronavirus UPDATE – Confirmed cases exceed 17,000, 362 deaths

    The Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has now spread to 27 countries and territories worldwide. There are 17,387 confirmed cases and 362 deaths as of this morning. Welcome to our Monday morning update as we enter a new month with the coronavirus still growing , both inside China and outside, with the first death outside China over the weekend – a 44…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE – first death outside China, 14,559 confirmed cases

    Coronavirus UPDATE – first death outside China, 14,559 confirmed cases

    Deaths from the coronavirus outbreak have now reached 305 today, including the first outside China, a 44 year old Chinese man in the Philippines. 14,559 people are now confirmed with the virus, the vast majority in China. Whilst the fatality rate remains at 2% with the current level of cases, many have also recovered and returned home. Many remain in…

  • Covid-19 NewsWelcome home – 17 Surat Thani students return from Hubei, China

    Welcome home – 17 Surat Thani students return from Hubei, China

    17 electronics students from Surat Thani Technical College in Thailand’s south, who had been studying on a high vocational certificate course at Xingtai Polytechnic College in Hubei, China, have arrived home. They are healthy and happy to back with their families. The 17 arrived at the Surat Thani International Airport, via Suvarnabhumi, yesterday jus after 9 in the morning. The…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket, Bangkok and Chiang Mai hard hit over ‘palpable’ tourism drop

    Phuket, Bangkok and Chiang Mai hard hit over ‘palpable’ tourism drop

    The 2019-nCoV coronavirus, the official name for the Wuhan or Novel Corononavirus, is resulting in dozens of high-season flights to Thai southern beach resorts being cancelled. The virus is already deemed an international public health emergency by the World Health Organisation. “While Patong survived and thrived after SARS, the tsunami and a few army coups, this virus is stripping our…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand’s King sends message of support to China

    Thailand’s King sends message of support to China

    “Myself and the Thai people stand by the Chinese people and wish you success in overcoming this crisis, with the expectation that the situation will be restored to normal as quickly as possible.” His Majesty Maha Varichalongkorn, the King of Thailand has expressed his concern over the novel coronavirus outbreak in China and is wishing the Chinese government success in…

  • Covid-19 NewsNo confirmed coronavirus cases in Phuket, six tourists under observation

    No confirmed coronavirus cases in Phuket, six tourists under observation

    A this stage, no one in Phuket has been confirmed as infected with the coronavirus. Director of Vachira Hospital’s Dr Chalermpong Sukontapol brought local media up to date in his media scrum at the hospital yesterday. But he announced that 6 more tourists are currently under observation but are, as yet, unconfirmed to be carrying the novel coronavirus. One of…

  • Covid-19 NewsChiang Mai confirms first coronavirus case

    Chiang Mai confirms first coronavirus case

    Chiang Mai health officials have confirmed the first positive case of the coronavirus in the northern city. The patient had come for treatment from Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital and later tested positive for the virus. The Ministry of Public Health announced yesterday that five more people in Thailand had been confirmed as carrying the novel coronavirus, and one of…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus – Taxi driver first human-to-human infection in Thailand

    Coronavirus – Taxi driver first human-to-human infection in Thailand

    Four Chinese airline passengers from China’s Hubei province, and one Thai citizen – a taxi driver – have now been confirmed as infected with the novel coronavirus. The announcement came from the Permanent Health Secretary Sukhum Karnchanapimai says in a briefing in Bangkok. The latest announcement brought the current toll of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Kingdom to 19. Of…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE: Thai cases up to 19, US declares coronavirus a public health emergency

    Coronavirus UPDATE: Thai cases up to 19, US declares coronavirus a public health emergency

    Total confirmed worldwide cases: 11,374 Total confirmed cases in China: 11,221 Total conformed cases in Thailand: 19 Total deaths: 259 And, as the weeks wear on, it is clear that most people are recovering from their symptoms and getting on with their lives. No one, outside of China, has died from the coronavirus infection. Many countries have now issued strict…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand charters civilian plane to repatriate stranded Thais in Wuhan

    Thailand charters civilian plane to repatriate stranded Thais in Wuhan

    The Thai government will charter a plane from a commercial airline to evacuate Thai citizens trapped in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says they’ve opted not to use a military transport plane as the Chinese government declined to permit a military aircraft repatriate the Thais earlier this week. It was reported that there remains about…

  • Covid-19 NewsFirst human-to-human case of Coronavirus confirmed in Thailand

    First human-to-human case of Coronavirus confirmed in Thailand

    Thailand health officials have confirmed the first case of human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus. The confirmed case hasn’t travelled outside of Thailand. Reuters report that the case is a Thai taxi driver, according to the deputy director-general of the Department of Disease Control, Tanarak Pipat. “The Thai person who got infected does not have the record of traveling to…

  • Covid-19 NewsTwo Thais arrested for spreading fake coronavirus news

    Two Thais arrested for spreading fake coronavirus news

    The Thai government says that two people have been arrested for posting fake news about the outbreak of the Wuhan Novel Coronavirus. Buddhipongse Punnakanta, the minister of the digital economy, says his ministry’s “Anti-Fake News Centre” collaborated with the police to arrest Thitima Kongthon at her Bangkok house after she posted on Facebook that a patient infected with the virus died…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand considers suspending visa-on-arrival for Chinese

    Thailand considers suspending visa-on-arrival for Chinese

    The Cabinet committee responsible for “preventing emerging diseases” will meet today to roll out various measures in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak affecting the region, according to Thai Public Health Minister Anuthin Charnvirakul. One proposed measure is the temporary suspension of visa-on-arrival for Chinese nationals, in line with the Chinese ban on outbound group tours. Anuthin stressed that the…

  • Covid-19 NewsSixth virus patient in Thailand discharged, 8 remain in hospital

    Sixth virus patient in Thailand discharged, 8 remain in hospital

    A sixth coronavirus patient in Thailand has been cleared, discharged and sent home. Sophon Iamsirithavorn, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, say the count of 14 detected cases remains the same in Thailand as of noon yesterday. All 14, believed to have contracted the disease in China, were treated at Bamrasnaradura Infectious Disease Institute in Nonthaburi. Six of the 14…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE – confirmed cases exceed SARS outbreak, death toll reaches 213

    Coronavirus UPDATE – confirmed cases exceed SARS outbreak, death toll reaches 213

    The last day of January and the number of coronavirus cases now heads towards 10,000, confirmed cases in China, as of Friday morning, is 9,692. Confirmed deaths, all in China, are now 213. The number of confirmed cases now exceeds the total number of SARS cases during the outbreak in 2002/2003. 42 of the new deaths occurred in Hubei province,…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand to screen all airline passengers from China for coronavirus

    Thailand to screen all airline passengers from China for coronavirus

    Beginning yesterday, all airline passenger arrivals from China, regardless of their point of origin, are being screened for the Wuhan Coronavirus when entering Thailand. Health officials announced the measure after six more Chinese visitors were diagnosed with the virus, bringing the total in Thailand to 14 cases. The death toll from the outbreak now stands at 131 (as of Wednesday morning),…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE – 5,578 confirmed cases, 131 dead

    Coronavirus UPDATE – 5,578 confirmed cases, 131 dead

    We awake to the latest news today on the spread of the Coronavirus where 5,578 people are now confirmed as infected and undergoing treatment, and the death toll reaching 131. 125 of those deaths are isolated to Hubei Province in central China (graph below). The largest city of Hubei is Wuhan, the epicentre of the current outbreak which first came…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus – six new cases confirmed in Thailand

    Coronavirus – six new cases confirmed in Thailand

    Six new cases of of the novel coronavirus are now confirmed for Thailand by the Ministry of Public Health. That brings the total number of cases detected to 14. The six new cases have all been hospitalised. Dr. Suhum Kanchanapimai, the Public health permanent secretary, confirmed that five of the six confirmed cases were members of the same Chinese family…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus – WHO says it remains unclear when people become contagious

    Coronavirus – WHO says it remains unclear when people become contagious

    The World Health Organisation has announced that… “it remains unclear if the deadly coronavirus, which broke out in Wuhan, China five weeks ago, is contagious during its incubation period before symptoms appear. The virus, causing a pneumonia-like respiratory infection, has killed more than 100 people and infected over 4,500 in China, while cases are now identified in more than a dozen…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus v SARS, a quick comparison

    Coronavirus v SARS, a quick comparison

    SARS, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, was a viral respiratory disease caused by the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Between November 2002 and July 2003, the eight month outbreak in southern China infected a total of 8,098 people, resulting in 774 deaths in 17 countries. Two years ago Chinese scientists traced SARS’ origins through the intermediary of civets (cat-like small mammals) to…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE: 81 dead, Beijing 50 year old dies, more cases in the US

    Coronavirus UPDATE: 81 dead, Beijing 50 year old dies, more cases in the US

    The death toll in China from the respiratory illness called the Wuhan Coronavirus or the Novel Coronavirus, has now reached 81. There are no deaths reported outside China and the vast majority of deaths are in the province of Hubei (76) where Wuhan is the capital. The coronavirus has now infected nearly 3,000 people, and the numbers are expected to…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE: More Chinese cities restrict travel, Thailand checking land borders

    Coronavirus UPDATE: More Chinese cities restrict travel, Thailand checking land borders

    The death toll from the novel coronavirus has grown to 80 today. The entire Hubei Province is now in the largest health ‘lockdown’ ever mounted in modern medical history with tight controls of who or what is inbound or outbound from the central Chinese province, plus severe restrictions on movement in place in several other Chinese cities. The number of deaths…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE: President Xi addresses “grave situation of the rapid spreading epidemic”

    Coronavirus UPDATE: President Xi addresses “grave situation of the rapid spreading epidemic”

    The Novel Coronavirus that infects the respiratory tract and gives patients flu-like symptoms, is now responsible for at least 42 deaths in central China (40 in Hubei), with 15 new fatalities reported yesterday, and more than 1,409 cases in total. At this stage the spread of the virus outside China has been extremely isolated with overseas authorities quarantining any confirmed…

  • World NewsFortress Wuhan. Chinese authorities lock down the source of the coronavirus.

    Fortress Wuhan. Chinese authorities lock down the source of the coronavirus.

    Wuhan, a city of more than 10 million in the central Chinese province of Hubei, is effectively in lock down following a decisive attempt to isolate the source of the Novel Coronavirus. Wuhan has ‘temporarily’ closed its airport, rail station and main roads out of the city. All city public transport services are all suspended too, as authorities scramble to…

  • Krabi NewsSuspected British Coronavirus patient, confirmed NOT to have the virus – UPDATE

    Suspected British Coronavirus patient, confirmed NOT to have the virus – UPDATE

    It’s now been confirmed that a British man, in critical condition in a Thai Hospital, has not contracted the Chinese Coronavirus. Ashley Shorley, who was holidaying on Koh Phi Phi at the time, became seriously ill with a “flu virus” on December 27. He was rushed by boat (reported as a sea plane in other media) to Phuket where his condition worsened. He…

  • Environment News32 year old British patient recovering in Phuket, suspected Coronavirus victim

    32 year old British patient recovering in Phuket, suspected Coronavirus victim

    UPDATE HERE. A British tourist is reported to be fighting for his life in a Phuket hospital. He could be the first Western victim of the coronavirus strain sweeping through China, according to Doctors at the hospital, but is yet to be confirmed. This latest coronavirus, related to the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome)…

  • Hot NewsCoronavirus spreads north and south in China – 139 new cases reported

    Coronavirus spreads north and south in China – 139 new cases reported

    Another 139 new cases of a flu-like disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus in China has shocked health officials. There’s also been a third confirmed death reported today. Worse, the outbreak has now spread beyond Wuhan in central China where the virus was first identified. There have been cases reported in Beijing, a province next door to Shanghai and…

  • Environment NewsSecond death in China from virus concerns officials with the CNY holidays looming

    Second death in China from virus concerns officials with the CNY holidays looming

    “At least 41 people have now been diagnosed as being infected this latest flu-like strain.” Medical officials in China’s Wuhan city have announced that another man had died after being infected by the new coronavirus strain. Thailand and Japan have now reported new cases of a the Chinese Coronavirus that has already killed two and infected at least 40 in…

  • Bangkok NewsFirst case of New Coronavirus Pneumonia detected arriving in Bangkok

    First case of New Coronavirus Pneumonia detected arriving in Bangkok

    A first case of ‘New Coronavirus Pneumonia’ has been identified in Thailand, but the Public Health Ministry is assuring the public there is no wider outbreak of the virus. The mystery virus has now been identified by Chinese scientists and was earlier nicknamed as the mystery Wuhan pneumonia. Anuthin Charnvirakul, the Thai Public Health Minister has informed the media that…