World Health Organisation
- Thailand News
Pandemic creates labour shortages in Thailand
The Covid-19 pandemic, in addition to an ageing population and declining birth rates, has created a labour shortage in Thailand. Over the past two years, unemployed Thais have started to leave their jobs to work as freelancers or run their own businesses. The National Economic and Social Development Council states that the number of Thais in the workforce will go…
- Covid-19 News
Thai virologist echoes WHO, other experts, in dismissing claims of “Deltacron variant”
Following recent media reports in Cyprus that a new “Deltacron” variant had been discovered in the country, a number of virology experts have downplayed the claims. Leonitios Kostrikis from the University of Cyprus says his researchers have identified 25 cases of the so-called variant. It supposedly combines the traits of both the Delta and Omicron variant, but experts now believe…
- World News
France detects new Covid variant “IHU,” believed to be highly transmissible
While the world is grappling with new spikes in Covid-19 cases due to the Omicron variant, scientists in France have discovered another variant. The newly-discovered variant, called B.1.640.2, was found in 12 patients near Marseille and features 46 mutations, making it vaccine-resistant and contagious. Also known as “IHU,” the strain was detected by scholars at the IHU Mediterranee Infection on…
- Covid-19 News
WHO warns of surge in hospitalisations, particularly among the unvaccinated
The World Health Organisation has warned that even if the Omicron Covid-19 variant proves to be milder, its rapid spread will still mean a surge in hospitalisations. Europe Covid Incident Manager Catherine Smallwood says this will be particularly evident among the unvaccinated. “A rapid growth of Omicron, even if combined with a slightly milder disease, will still result in large…
- Covid-19 News
WHO encourages vigilance, vaccinating in the face of Omicron
The need to vaccinate and stay vigilant against Covid-19 as the Omicron variant spreads was stressed by the World Health Organisation in a briefing yesterday. The WHO called on countries to accelerate vaccination programs as much as possible and warn that the Omicron variant may change the course of the pandemic. The Director-General of the WHO says that Omicron could…
- Covid-19 News
Omicron unlikely to be more severe or to fully evade vaccines: WHO
It’s early days, but the World Health Organisation has sounded a note of very cautious optimism about the Omicron Covid-19 variant. According to an AFP report, the WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan says early data shows the mutation is no more severe than earlier variants and unlikely to fully dodge vaccine protection. However, Ryan cautions that it’s still too soon…
- Covid-19 News
Red Cross leader says Omicron variant result of vaccine inequality
The head of the Red Cross pointed to the Omicron variant as the ultimate evidence that vaccine inequality around the world is a danger to every country globally. The president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said that much more work is needed to balance the inequality in the global approach to vaccination against the…
- Covid-19 News
Hospital warns not all PCR tests properly detect Omicron variant
Ramathibodi Hospital Centre for Medical Genomics has warned that some PCR test kits may fail in accurately identifying people infected with the Omicron variant of Covid-19. The hospital says that the new variant has a growth advantage and that some polymerase chain reaction tests may not be able to see the variant. The Hospital posted its findings on Facebook recently…
- World News
“Omicron” – a new Covid variant triggers travel alarms as flights disrupted
A reminder today that there is still more steam left in the Covid-19 coronavirus. Just as the world started to peek from behind the curtain of uncertainty, another Covid “variant of concern”, named Omicron, has been discovered. The World Health Organisation says Omicron has a large number of mutations, and early evidence suggests an “increased reinfection risk”. Officially, it is…
- Covid-19 News
Europe the only region in the world where Covid deaths are rising
Covid-19 deaths in Europe rose by 5% last week, making it the only region in the world where Covid fatalities are rising. The World Health Organisation says that, while infection rates have risen across the Americas, Europe, and Asia, Covid-related deaths in all regions have remained stable or dropped – with the exception of Europe. According to an AP report,…
- Covid-19 News
Paxlovid deal allows generics of Covid-19 treatment for 95 countries
Pfizer struck a deal with Medicines Patent Pool to allow generic drug manufacturers to produce its new Paxlovid antiviral Covid-19 pills cheaply for less wealthy countries. The deal was announced yesterday and will bring down the cost of the Covid-19 treatment course for 95 countries that are considered low and middle-income. The access covers about 53% of the world population.…
- Covid-19 News
Sinovac to be added to UK’s approved vaccine list for inbound travel
Brits residing in Thailand, and vaccinated with the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine, can rejoice as the UK adds it to the list of approved vaccines. According to a Reuters report, the British government has confirmed that from November 22, vaccines on the World Health Organisation’s Emergency Use Listing, which includes Sinovac, Sinopharm, and India’s Covaxin, will be recognised. The move will…
- Covid-19 News
WHO: Global pandemic exposed unpreparedness and inequality
A new report by the World Health Organisation Global Preparedness Monitoring Board says that the Covid-19 pandemic exposed the world’s lack of preparedness, accountability, and equality. The first year of Covid-19 showed that so many countries failed to be serious about preparedness and taking action on scientific data, while national Covid-19 responses ignored the interconnectedness of the world, revealing massive…
- Covid-19 News
WHO approves Siam Bioscience’s AstraZeneca for emergency use
Today brought good news for Thai vaccines as the World Health Organisation approved the Siam Bioscience-licensed AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use. Siam Bioscience, a company wholly owned by a subsidiary of the Crown Property Bureau, was licensed last November to produce the AstraZeneca vaccine for domestic use in Thailand and for sale and distribution around Southeast Asia. The director of…
- Covid-19 News
Vaccine inequity means inoculation rate is still below 10% in over 55 countries
More than 55 countries have fewer than 10% of their populations vaccinated against Covid-19, the result of vaccine inequity that has yet to be adequately addressed. The Covax programme, created to ensure equity in global vaccine distribution, has been hit by production delays, export bans, and rich countries protecting their own first, according to a Nation Thailand report. Bruce Aylward…
- World News
Amnesty says vaccine makers putting profits before lives amid global inequity
Amnesty International has accused the manufacturers of Covid-19 vaccines of putting profits before lives and called on wealthy governments to distribute 2 billion doses to poorer nations. According to an AFP report, Amnesty boss Agnes Callamard says that US President Joe Biden is expected to use the UN General Assembly to confirm a pledge to fully vaccinate 70% of the…
- Covid-19 News
Mu variant as a Covid-19 “variant of interest” by WHO
By now, news of the Delta variant, a much more contagious strain of Covid-19 that has spread around the world, is well understood. Now, ‘Mu’, a new Covid-19 variant that may be resistant to vaccines, is making headlines as a new “variant of interest” according to the World Health Organisation. The Mu variant was first identified in Colombia 8 months…
- Covid-19 News
Vaccine inequality may see poorer countries lose $2.3 trillion
A new study found that the global economy will lose US $2.3 trillion due to slow Covid-19 vaccinations and that less wealthy countries will suffer disproportionately. The study by the Economist Intelligence Unit stated that because vaccine rollouts are much slower than those of wealthy nations, the developing and emerging countries will see the most loss. The Asia-Pacific Region is…
- Covid-19 News
Government says yes, no, yes, no, yes on Chinese ATK deal
If you are a casual reader of The Thaiger you are may have read that the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation made a deal to import 8.5 million antigen test kits at the urging of hospitals desperate to quickly test and treat Covid-19 patients. Perhaps you even followed up and learned about the pause on purchasing after the Rural Doctors Society blasted…
- Covid-19 News
Australia and New Zealand consider just living with Covid-19
With Covid-19 on the rise in Australia and New Zealand, officials in both countries have hinted at moving away from a strategy of eliminating the virus and instead learning to live with it. Australia has daily infection numbers nearing 1,000, setting new records each day and, while New Zealand had long avoided Covid-19 outbreaks, today the country reported 62 new…
- Covid-19 News
WHO condemns countries administering Covid booster shots during global shortage
The World Health Organisation has slammed the concept of booster shots while millions are yet to receive a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. The WHO adds that there is as yet no scientific evidence that such boosters are necessary and administering them is immoral when so many countries are struggling with vaccine shortages. A number of countries, including the…
- Covid-19 News
GPO pauses antigen test kits deal after skimping accusations
After a scathing letter from the Rural Doctors Society accusing the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation of basing their decision solely on price with no concern for quality or accuracy, the GPO walked back their plan to buy 8.5 million antigen test kits from Lepu Medical Technology of China. The purchase will be delayed in order to test the quality of the…
- Covid-19 News
WHO calls for booster shots to be suspended while poor countries face vaccine shortages
The World Health Organisation has called for the administration of third, or booster doses, of Covid-19 vaccines to be suspended to deal with the huge inequality in global distribution. The organisation says booster shots should be halted until at least the end of September until the inequity in distribution between rich and poor countries is addressed. WHO boss Tedros Adhanom…
- Thailand News
Sinovac/AstraZeneca highly effective, according to Thai research
Today, Thailand’s Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology from the Faculty of Medicine of Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, says a vaccine cocktail of Sinovac/AstraZeneca is “highly effective”. Controversial doctor Yong Poovorawan says 2 doses of the inactivated virus vaccine can help “immunity rise to an average level of 100 units”. Further, if 2 doses of the vector vaccine are administered…
- Covid-19 News
Concerns raised as Health Ministry appears to ignore WHO warning on mixing vaccines
The public is questioning the Thai government’s proposal to combine Covid-19 vaccines from different manufacturers despite a warning from the World Health Organisation. The WHO’s chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, has warned against the practice, saying there is not enough information on the potential risks. However, the Pattaya News reports that Thailand’s National Communicable Disease Committee has just approved the proposal…
- Covid-19 News
World Health Organisation warns against “dangerous trend” of mixing Covid vaccines
A chief scientist at the World Health Organisation has warned against an emerging practice of mixing Covid-19 vaccines. Speaking during an online briefing, Soumya Swaminathan described the practice of combining vaccines from different manufacturers as a, “dangerous trend”. She says a lack of safety data means countries should refrain from random decision-making on vaccine boosters and combinations. “It’s a little…
- Thailand News
Myth busted: Drinking alcohol does not kill Covid-19 – VIDEO
With the latest wave of Covid-19 infections, spreading quickly from clusters at Bangkok bars and nightclubs to provinces across Thailand, nightlife venues were the first to close and will probably be the last to reopen. Alcohol bans at restaurants in provinces with high numbers of active Covid-19 cases are also likely to stay in effect for a while. Thailand’s move…
- Tourism News
Reopening guidelines for Phuket and Samui
In a press release, the Tourism Authority of Thailand recently sought to lay out and clarify guidelines for how Thailand’s reopening will begin. The Phuket Sandbox plan rolls out first on July 1 (awaiting final approval), followed by a proposal for Surat Thani province reopening Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao on a sealed route July 15. Here’s the…
- Covid-19 News
11 million Sinovac doses to arrive in Thailand over the next 3 months
Over the next 3 months, Thailand will import 11 million doses of China’s Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine. The locally-produced AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine is the primary vaccine planned for Thailand’s mass coronavirus immunisation campaign. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says the additional Sinovac doses will help reach the goal of obtaining 100 million doses. So far, Thailand has received 5.5 million doses…
- World News
It’s a yes: WHO approves Sinovac for emergency use
The CoronaVac vaccine from Chinese firm Sinovac has been approved for emergency use, making it the second Chinese vaccine to be approved by the World Health Organisation. The approval paves the way for more widespread global distribution, particularly as part of the Covax scheme. The scheme aims to provide poorer countries with equal access to Covid-19 vaccines but up to…
