New research in the US shows directly that sunlight kills the virus and may explain Thailand’s relative good fortune even though it was the first country to report human to human transmission after the coverup in China was exposed. Hospitalisation for the virus has fallen by up to 80% since April 5th according to Friday’s figures from the Covid 19 centre in Bangkok.
Thailand’s rate of hospitalisation has been cut by nearly 80% since its peak on April 15th with encouraging data and no deaths announced this Friday. The success of the kingdom, the first in the world to report human to human transmission, however, may have a lot to do with the country’s weather and high levels of sunlight, after all, despite such thinking being rubbished by the widely discredited WHO two weeks ago. The US, on Thursday, through its Department of Homeland Security, revealed scientific data suggesting that direct sunlight can kill the virus in minutes while also showing that temperature and humidity are considerable factors in its spread.
Thailand reported some more good news in its battle against the virus on Friday when authorities revealed only 15 daily infections and a steep drop in the level of hospitalisation in the kingdom since April 5th.
‘Only 314 patients remain at hospitals thanks to the work of all medical personnel. Now we see pictures of patients being discharged from hospitals and welcomed by happy relatives,’ Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin announced.
The number hospitalised reached a peak of 1,472, 19 days earlier.
Thai government’s emergency response has been successful as the hospitalisation figures clearly show
The data being released shows clearly that the government’s emergency actions have been successful. The Thai Prime Minister, Pryauth Chan ocha, is waiting until the end of next week to make a decision on the easing of lockdown restrictions as top medical figures warn that the threat of a second wave is very real as the infection still skulks awaiting its chance to reemerge.
Recent developments in Japan and Singapore attest to this.
Sunlight a powerful force against the virus
However, new research released overnight in the United States is also very relevant to Thailand’s position as top US scientists now say that sunlight is, after all, a powerful factor in killing off this virus.
Thai Tourism Minister not completely wrong
In February in Phatthalung province, the Thai Minister for Tourism and Sports, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, told his audience that the high temperatures during March and April would kill off the virus.
Later he was criticised for the comments which, of course, have proved incorrect. A similar pronouncement was made by US President Donald Trump at the time.
The reason both statements were later proved wrong was not that sunlight and high temperatures cannot kill the virus but its ability to lurk or live on indoors and in infected human beings where its range of abilities has been shown to be disconcertingly high.
Scientific study in the United States may help somewhat to explain Thailand’s low level of deaths
These latest studies suggest that sunlight drastically reduces the lifespan of the Covid 19 coronavirus.
This may explain why Thailand has been spared the rate of infection and mortality seen as the virus spread to European countries despite Thailand being the first country outside China to report it.
The kingdom, in fact, was the country that exposed to the world as early as January, the virus’s lethal human to human transmission capability.
Previously, Chinese authorities had denied such a possibility.
More mutations of the virus than previously thought with far higher loads in some variations
However, it would be wrong to suggest that these factors alone were responsible for the lower death rate seen in Thailand.
One obvious example was the instinctive determination of Thai people from the outset, rightly as it transpired and against the expert advice of the WHO and Western medical experts, to wear face masks.
Also significantly, in the last month, scientists worldwide have also pointed to considerably more mutations of the virus than previously thought and with some of these having a far stronger and higher viral load.
This may be the reason for the nightmarish outbreaks in Italy, Spain, the UK, France and the United States combined with colder weather with far less heat and sunshine.
It will be a long time before we have a full understanding of all this as scientists make new discoveries day by day.
Press conference in Washington attended by the US President heard research results from the Science and Technology division of the DHS
The latest information was released in Washington DC at a press conference attended by President Trump where findings were presented by the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate.
The findings show that high humidity, temperatures and sunlight kills the virus.
This was found to be true on saliva droplets from human beings and on non-porous surfaces as well as in the air.
‘Powerful effect that solar light appears to have in killing the virus’ – DHS science expert
The presentation was made to the media by Bill Bryan, a technical advisor to the DHS unit.
‘Our most striking observation to date is the powerful effect that solar light appears to have in killing the virus on surfaces and in the air,’ he told the audience.
Similar suggestion rubbished by WHO
Similar suggestions were rubbished in recent weeks by the World Health Organisation which posted such a theory on its website as a myth.
The WHO simply stated that the virus can spread in hot and warm countries based on the facts on the ground.
World Health body lumped such claims in with 5G conspiracy theories and fake news on its website
The organisation lumped this ‘myth’ among a range of other outlandish claims such as that cold weather can kill the virus as well as the vast conspiracy theory surrounding 5G networks and this health threat. It was also placed among other ridiculous claims such as that the virus can be spread through mosquito bites.
Geneva-based body obsessed with fake news
The world body based in Geneva seems to be more focused on conveying the concept of fake news than on providing comprehensive, unedited, fact-based, scientific information for the general public to decide for themselves even where such information can appear to in conflict with official guidance or other research.
This is what we saw in Washington last night and have seen a range of briefings where in-depth, honest factual data has been presented to the US public.
This is another blunder by the WHO which initially advised people not to wear face masks and then also labelled claims that the virus could be spread in aerosols as more fake news.
US President defunded the discredited body
The US president cut off funding for the discredited body last week and the Australian government has also called for the World Health Organisation to be investigated because of allegations it colluded with China.
An Australian minister last week claimed that that country’s success in attacking the virus has come about, in part, by ignoring misleading advice from the WHO.
DHS also highlights the efficacy of bleach and alcohol-based disinfectants indoors against the virus
The DHS study showed that the virus can die in direct sunlight within a matter of minutes.
It has also shown that normal disinfectants such as bleach and alcohol can kill the virus indoors which is where the greatest threat still exists for countries like Thailand.
Mr Bryan outlined how the bleach can take 90 seconds to kill the virus while alcohol-based products kill it in 30 seconds.
Trump reminds the audience of his ‘gaffe’
US President Trump, who attended the press conference, took the opportunity to take a swipe at his media critics for his comments in February: ‘I once mentioned that maybe it does go away with light,’ he said at Thursday’s briefing.
Summer will not kill off the virus
All that said, the DHS technical advisor warned the American public that this does not mean that the coming Summer season will kill off widespread transmission of this deadly virus.
Top physician and White House advisor Dr Anthony Fauci made heartfelt pleas this week for Americans not to let their guard down or open the economy in a sudden move as a second wave of infection is now almost guaranteed.
Other experts have warned that a recurrence of widespread infection would be even more devastating than the current first wave which has already taken the lives of over 50,000 Americans.
Top advisors in the US as in the UK are stressing the need for widespread and effective testing as well as a vaccine.
Warning to Americans not to let this aspect of the virus lead to a free for all in the summer
Bill Bryan of the DHS had a similar message for Americans even as he revealed the encouraging news from his study showing the effects of heat, humidity and sunlight on the invisible enemy.
‘It would be irresponsible to say the summer will kill the virus and it’s a free for all and people ignore guidance,’ he concluded.
The open approach of the US government despite the country’s huge loss of life has thrown light on the face of this deadly virus while the condescending WHO which for all its talk of fake news has, in fact, at times quite effectively, due to political correctness, left the world’s population in the dark about key aspects of it with even darker consequences.
Further reading:
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