Covid Emergency in Bangkok Hospitals as Cases Rise

Covid beds running out
Only 20 left for emergency patients
published : 23 Jun 2021 at 04:00
Beds designated for patients in critical condition at all state-run hospitals in Bangkok are now fully occupied by Covid-19 infected patients with severe symptoms, while the last 20 of such beds are strictly reserved for emergency patients, health authorities said on Tuesday.

Under the current circumstances, infected patients' access to hospital beds with life-saving equipment has become extremely limited, said Dr Somsak Akksilp, director-general of the Department of Medical Services.

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) recorded 35 more Covid-19 fatalities and 4,059 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday.

Of the new cases, 3,963 were found in the general population, 75 among prison inmates and the rest were imported cases, said Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin, CCSA spokesman.

The hospital bed shortage situation is of particular concern now, especially since demand for this specific type of hospital bed in the so-called yellow and red groups is high, he said.

Patients in the yellow group are those with moderate symptoms that run the risk of developing into a severe condition, while patients in the red group are already exhibiting serious symptoms, Dr Somsak said.

Over the past couple of months, Bangkok and its surrounding provinces have continued to record more than 1,000 new cases of Covid-19 infections per day, which has resulted in a sharp increase in the number of infected patients in both the yellow and red groups, he said.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... unning-out

New restrictions in Bangkok, other provinces announced
published : 27 Jun 2021 at 11:02
writer: Gary Boyle
ORIGINAL SOURCE/WRITER: Reuters

New restrictions centred around Bangkok have been announced in a bid to tackle the country's worst coronavirus outbreak.

The new measures, which will be implemented for 30 days from Monday, include a ban on restaurant dine-ins in Bangkok and five surrounding provinces of Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon and Nakhon Pathom.

Shopping malls in Bangkok and the five provinces must be closed by 9pm, and parties or activities involving more than 20 people will also be banned.

It also said construction sites in the six areas will be shut down and workers' camps will be sealed off to contain clusters. The order followed the emergence of more clusters in construction camps in the capital, which has 575 such sites housing about 81,000 workers.

Since May, 37 clusters have been found in Bangkok camps.

Authorities will set up checkpoints in Bangkok and the five provinces to limit travel and relocation of construction workers, as well as checkpoints in the country's four southern provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, Songkhla and Yala.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/ea ... -announced

Thai virologist warns against Delta variant as Covid-19 deaths hit record high
Published Jun 23, 2021, 3:19 pm SGT

BANGKOK (THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Well-known Thai virologist Yong Poovorawan on Wednesday (June 23) urged the government to inoculate as many people as possible to prevent an outbreak of the Covid-19 Delta variant, as the country reported a record increase in virus-linked deaths.

Citing a study by the Department of Medical Sciences, Dr Yong said 90 per cent of Covid-19 infections in Thailand were of the Alpha strain, followed by the Delta strain (9 per cent) and the Beta strain (1 per cent).

However, he predicted that the number of Delta-linked infections, found mostly among young workers, would gradually rise in the next three to four months.

He also pointed out that the vaccines currently administered in Thailand offer protection against only the Alpha strain.

Currently, the vaccines used in Thailand are predominantly manufactured by AstraZeneca or Sinovac, while the government has ordered doses from other drugmakers like Pfizer-BioNTech.

"It will soon become necessary to monitor the spread of each strain to improve disease control," Dr Yong said, adding that more variants of the virus could emerge in the future.

"We believe new Covid-19 vaccines will be produced next year to deal with the different strains."

Thailand reported on Wednesday a new daily record of 51 Covid-19 fatalities, bringing total deaths to 1,744 since the pandemic started last year. The country also logged 3,174 new infections, bringing total confirmed cases to 228,539.

Of the new cases, 2,392 tested positive in hospitals, 720 were found via proactive testing, 36 were found in prisons and 26 were arrivals from overseas.

More than 85 per cent of new cases and deaths came after April this year as Thailand battles its third and most deadly wave.
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-as ... ecord-high

Bangkok's new Covid caseload hits all-time high Tuesday
published : 29 Jun 2021 at 08:05
Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), said in the afternoon briefing that the 36 new fatalities were 41-93 years old. Thirty-five were Thais and one was a New Zealander. Twenty of them had diabetes and three had no reported chronic disease.

Bangkok recorded 19 of the new deaths. Seven fatalities occurred in Nonthaburi, two each in Nakhon Pathom and Chiang Rai, and one each in Samut Sakhon, Samut Prakan, Chon Buri, Songkhla, Prachin Buri and Samut Songkhram.

The 4,662 new cases over the previous 24 hours consisted of 4,624 local infections -- in 71 provinces -- along with 28 imported cases.

Among the local infections, 3,683 were confirmed at hospitals and 941 through mass testing.

Bangkok had the most cases at 1,692 (a new record high), followed by 647 in Samut Prakan, 293 in Samut Sakhon, 185 in Nonthaburi, 182 in Songkhla, 180 in Pathum Thani, 168 in Nakhon Pathom, 146 in Chon Buri, 143 in Pattani and 89 in Yala.
Full article: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... gh-tuesday

CEOCambodiaNews wrote: ↑Tue Jun 29, 2021 7:32 pm Bangkok's new Covid caseload hits all-time high Tuesday
published : 29 Jun 2021 at 08:05
Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), said in the afternoon briefing that the 36 new fatalities were 41-93 years old. Thirty-five were Thais and one was a New Zealander. Twenty of them had diabetes and three had no reported chronic disease.
Full article: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... gh-tuesday

New Zealander dies of Covid-19 in Bangkok hospital
Lee Kenny12:08, Jul 01 2021

A Kiwi granddad who died of Covid-19 in Bangkok appeared to be recovering before his condition worsened and he lapsed into a coma, his family says.

John Murray, who was born in Ranfurly in Central Otago, contracted the virus on June 12 and died in hospital on June 27.

The 74-year-old was an internationally respected civil engineer, who worked on major infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

He moved to Thailand in 1991 but maintained his passion for rugby and always watched All Blacks' games with a Kiwi friend.

He had two children who were born in New Zealand and four who were born in Bangkok.

His daughter, Sasithorn Rattanasakol, known as Jessie, said he was a loving father, who “introduced his children to the world”.

“He was a very hardworking man, he took care of everyone in the family,” Rattanasakol, 26, said.

Murray retired at the age of 71, but he was in good health before catching Covid.

He had diabetes and high blood pressure but still “walked 10,000 steps a day”.

Murray was admitted to hospital in the early hours of June 13.

His health improved two days later, but on June 17 he needed extra oxygen to help him breathe, his daughter said. He was admitted to intensive care on June 19 and did not recover.

The situation in Bangkok was “bad”, with thousands of new cases every day, Rattanasakol said.

“Me, my mum, my big brother, also had Covid. We are recovering; everyone is doing well now.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health ... k-hospital

Business baffled by gaffes
The government's management of the pandemic is posing a raft of difficult questions
published : 5 Jul 2021 at 05:30

As both new daily infections and deaths caused by Covid-19 continue to set records, concerns regarding the administration's ability to govern the country have almost reached a critical point.

The third outbreak, the largest since the pandemic emerged early last year, is undermining the public health system and slowing economic recovery. As doubts over the government's management of the crisis grow, the outbreak threatens to shake the administrative power of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's government.

Business leaders are gripped by uncertainty, even as key figures in the government continue to insist that disease transmission will not spiral out of control.


STRUGGLING FOR SURVIVAL
A rate of more than 5,000 new Covid-19 infections a day is causing alarm in the manufacturing sector as the pandemic leads to labour shortages in many factories, according to the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI).

Factory workers comprise a significant number of the patients requiring hospitalisation, affecting the country's production lines at a time when exports are Thailand's only economic lifeline.

If the number of new infections soars to 10,000 a day, this would overwhelm the country's public health capacity, said FTI vice-chairman Kriengkrai Thiennukul.
Full article: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/21 ... -by-gaffes

Update
Over 6,000 new cases reported in Thailand on Sunday
The number of new Covid-19 cases is steadily rising, as Thai health authorities on Monday said 50 more Covid-19 fatalities and 6,166 new transmissions were reported in Thailand on Sunday, bringing the accumulated toll to 2,276 deaths and the number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 289,233.
- Bangkok Times

“We” as in Cambodia?
Yes. The true figure will come out and it’ll be a shit storm.

You think things are bad now. Wait till 2022.

Thailand’s caseload soars with 54 deaths, 6,519 new infections
7 July 2021
Thailand recorded a new high with 6,519 cases and 54 deaths, bringing its total caseload to 301,172 infections and 2,387 deaths.

Of the new cases, 4,958 were tested in hospitals, 1,490 found through proactive testing, 55 tested positive in prisons and 16 came from overseas.

Bangkok led the list again with 1,549 cases, followed by Samut Prakan (548), Samut Sakhon (434), Nakhon Pathom (266), Chonburi (262), Chachoengsao (252), Prachuap Khiri Khan (241), Nonthaburi (235), Pathum Thani (212) and Pattani (190).
https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002943

CCSA warns Delta infections could soar to 10,000 next week
7 July 2021
Cases of the Delta variant could surge to 10,000 next week, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) warned on Wednesday.
Delta currently accounts for more than 50 per cent of new cases in Greater Bangkok and has spread to 40 provinces, said CCSA spokesman Dr Apisamai Srirangsan.
https://www.nationthailand.com/news/40002956