Thailand puts itself on alert against Monkeypox. Officials underline that there is no need for the public to panic at this time as the Ministry of Public Health begins screening for the disease which has not yet been declared a threat under the Communicable Disease Act 2015 but is being treated as one of interest that warrants further investigation.
Thai authorities are ramping up a screening process for the Monkeypox disease in respect of foreign tourists using an RT-PCR test which is in production together with incoming passenger declarations which will be coordinated through the country’s Thailand Pass online registration regime for foreign travellers. Visitors from Spain, the United Kingdom and Portugal are particularly to be examined by officials at the Ministry of Public Health in response to advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO) to enhance screening and surveillance against any possible threat posed by a new variation of the disease which, in the last week, has been detected in up to 20 countries where it was never endemic before.
The Thai government is expected to have an RT-PCR test kit within two weeks which will be used to test incoming passengers to the kingdom who, since the beginning of the week, are being screened for the Monkeypox disease on arrival at the country’s main airports.
On Wednesday, Dr Wasun Chantratita of the Centre for Medical Genomics at the Faculty of Medicine of Mahidol University at Ramathibodi Hospital told reporters that the test is being developed from samples taken from infected cases in Belgium and Portugal.
RT-PCR test will be used in the nationwide screening process in operation at all international airports in the kingdom being coordinated with Thailand Pass
Test results will, however, take about two to four days to be made available.
Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, the Head of the Department of Disease Control, has revealed that the new screening process on entry into Thailand will be linked with the Thailand Pass online entry regime which is to be retained for foreigners entering the country from June 1st.
Mask mandate to be scrapped in Thailand from mid-June in a boost for the foreign tourism sector
From the beginning of the week, all international airports have begun screening passengers with the Prime Minister, General Prayut Chan-ocha on Wednesday, ordering ramped up precautions at the country’s borders concerning the legal importation of animals and human trafficking activities.
Thailand responding to advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO) which is underlining a need for vigilance as it investigates the latest outbreak
Thailand has introduced screening for the Monkeypox virus following advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO) which is encouraging increased surveillance against the disease which was the subject of an emergency meeting in Geneva last Friday after cases of the infection normally found in Africa, began to appear in the western world.
On Tuesday, Dr Chakkarat Pitayowonganon, the head of the Epidemiology Division at the Department of Disease Control within the Health Ministry, was tasked with organising the kingdom’s response to this threat.
He warned that cases of the disease are expected to spread from Europe even though no case has been found so far in Thailand.
He revealed that officials at Thai airports are now monitoring incoming passengers from 17 at-risk countries for the disease, in particular passengers from the United Kingdom, Portugal and Spain.
Top medical official expects the disease to spread from Europe as the United Kingdom confirms 71 cases
Authorities in the United Kingdom reported on Tuesday that 71 cases had been detected there out of 237 across the world including Australia and America.
Experts suggest that health officials are trying to track the source of this outbreak to explain the reason for the change that has caused the disease to be found outside Africa.
Initial reports suggested that a gay sauna in Spain was the subject of enquiries together with a rave party involving international participants.
Officials warn public against panic and highlight that this disease is both less infectious and less severe than smallpox which was eradicated in 1980
Health officials across the world are emphasising the need to be careful about causing panic in response to the development and point out that Monkeypox is a disease that is less severe and infectious that the smallpox virus which was wiped out worldwide by 1980.
Officials also believe that most people from the western world, up to 1980 and countries who participated in a United Nations vaccination drive against smallpox including Thailand up to 1977, are likely to have been vaccinated for smallpox which should be effective against the Monkeypox threat including the severity of symptoms.
Commenting on the outbreak this week, top Thai virologist, Dr Yong Poovorawan said that the cases being detected in Europe are of a less severe strain than normally found in Africa.
Infection similar to a case detected in Singapore in 2019 and may be spread through sexual intercourse
He also revealed that authorities were investigating to see if the current spate of virus infections were being transmitted through sexual intercourse while also revealing that the current infection being investigated is similar to a case detected in Singapore in 2019.
Dr Chakkarat Pitayowonganon of the Department of Disease Control has announced that his department has set up an Emergency Operation Centre to coordinate the ministry’s response to the situation which would monitor developments both inside and outside Thailand.
On Tuesday, Deputy Minister of Public Health, Satit Pitutacha confirmed that each international airport will be tasked with taking precautions against the disease.
‘Each airport has a disease control unit and officials will intensify measures against Monkeypox by being more vigilant,’ he explained.
Sexually transmitted disease clinics to be trawled seeking evidence of Monkeypox infection in Thailand
He also revealed that Thai officials would be running checks on cases of skin diseases in the health system as well as cases presented at sexually transmitted disease clinics in a concerted effort to detect the disease which has yet to arrive in Thailand.
Dr Chakkarat said that a new card will be required to be filled by incoming passengers which will be linked to a QR code system and passengers being processed through airports will be questioned on their responses. They will also be observed for any signs of the disease on arrival in Thailand.
This would particularly apply to passengers from at-risk countries including the United Kingdom, Portugal and Spain, at this time.
Incoming tourists with symptoms to be tested for Monkeypox according to draft protocols issued
Tourists who show signs or symptoms of the disease will be asked for samples and if they test positive, they may be hospitalised, he disclosed.
Thailand however has not yet listed Monkeypox as a dangerous communicable disease to activate special powers under the Communicable Disease Act 2015.
However, it has been designated as a disease warranting further investigation.
The disease, if contracted, results in fever and chills with a later rash developing along with blisters.
Dr Chakkarat underlined, at this stage, that the current variation that has spread to countries that are normally endemic for the disease is a milder version of the African strain of Monkeypox which has a 6% mortality rate compared to 1% for the variation currently being investigated.
Thailand awaiting further information from WHO
Officials in Thailand while activating a comprehensive response to screen for the infection at airports, are also assessing the potential threat from the disease and are awaiting clarification from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Dr Yong Poovorawan has urged the Thai public to stay calm and says that a case of Monkeypox has not been detected in the kingdom since 1970 but agrees that vigilance, monitoring and further research into the current outbreak is an essential response.
‘We encourage you all to increase the surveillance of Monkeypox to see where transmission levels are and understand where it is going,’ Sylvie Briand, a Director of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday.
Join the Thai News forum, follow Thai Examiner on Facebook here
Receive all our stories as they come out on Telegram here
Follow Thai Examiner here
Further reading:
Thailand Pass app retained for foreign tourists but Thai nationals are to be exempted after June 1st
Face masks to be still needed in Thailand even after the emergency said Minster Anutin this week
Proposal to scrap Thailand Pass from June 1st as Thailand seeks tourism-driven economic growth
Anutin may agree to abolish Thailand Pass but wants all foreign tourists to have booster shots
Thailand Pass stalling visitors who wish to travel after May 1st as industry wants the app scrapped
Minister proposes that vaccinated tourists fly in without notice from May 1st to boost the economy
Fears growing that Covid may yet derail plans to reopen fully to foreign tourism from July 1st next
Thai tourism emphasises its neutrality in the Ukraine war, calls for a review of payment systems
Thailand moving to scrap all tourist restrictions this year once the Covid virus is declared endemic
Opposition targets Test and Go for spreading the virus as government insists on endemic status
Test and Go ready for take off again but this time with added baggage including a second PCR test
PM orders a re-evaluation of the balance between public health and economy as Omicron fears ease
Pandemic drawing to a close, senior public health official says growing Omicron strain is harmless
Top official describes the popular ‘Test and Go’ entry as a loophole exposing Thailand to Omicron
Tourism business owners think the unthinkable, the Omicron storm may bring with it good news
Minister suggests that ‘Test and Go’ now paused entry regime may be restarted in the New Year
Omicron nightmare for already troubled tourism sector: plan to suspend ‘Test and Go’ entry route
Omicron has arrived in Thailand but top officials believe they can manage an escalating situation
Thailand pushes ahead with foreign tourism drive, may defer switch to antigen testing over Omicron
Health officials asks for a review of the list of 63 countries allowed to enter without quarantine
Nightlife to reopen on a certified basis as officials try to balance public health and the economy
Thailand Pass is being upgraded but passenger stress stories continue with cancellation threats
Tourism reopening may lose momentum as government pivots back to public health priorities
Incoming passengers vent frustration at problems and bugs with the Thailand Pass system this week
Russian and Indian travellers unhappy at entry rules for November 1st, call for simpler plans
46 countries green-lighted as Thailand’s tourism business is set to take off from November 1st
Bright lights may be turned on again for foreign tourism as hated Certificate of Entry is to be axed
TAT boss: quarantine remains for 1 day to test all visitors, no going back to old tourism pub scenes
PM’s reopening order-only the beginning of the end of this cataclysmic crisis for Thai tourism
Tourism chief again plans to open up Thailand’s rock bottom tourism industry to cryptocurrencies
Dysfunction hits reopening of Thailand to tourism as Health Minister dismisses October 1st date
New normal tourism may see foreign and local tourists segregated at Pattaya tourist attractions
Rising prospect of GDP contraction for 2021 may see government breach the legal public debt limit
Economic fears rising as Thailand faces a bigger crisis than 1997 with rising job losses and debt
