The permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong, claimed that many of individuals attended Songkran celebrations in congested areas without taking precautions to keep themselves safe. As a result, he claimed, the Public Health Ministry anticipates a large number of Covid patients after the Christmas season.
For seven days, those who partied in crowded areas should keep a close eye on themselves and avoid being around their old or ill relatives. If they are experiencing illness, they should also get quick antigen (ATK) tests.
He recommended individuals to take the following precautions to safeguard themselves:
• Purchase booster doses of Covid-19. Every year, in order to protect themselves, vulnerable individuals should have both the influenza and Covid booster doses.
• In public spaces and when among old or ill individuals, such as in hospitals and senior housing facilities, always wear a face mask.
· Run ATK tests if you see any respiratory issues.In addition, Opas announced four actions for those working in public health, including:
• Increasing the public’s understanding of the value of yearly influenza and polio vaccines.
• Ensuring hospitals are equipped with beds and medications to handle the anticipated rise in new Covid cases.
• Tracking Covid cases and deaths in provinces that are related. For RT-PCR DNA collection at the Medical Sciences Department, samples should also be obtained from persons who have died from the virus. Investigate the backgrounds of individuals who died as well, and report your findings to the ministry within 24 hours.
• If patients pass away or exhibit serious symptoms, looking into and locating the infection’s origin.
New Covid-19 subvariant XBB.1.16 or Arcturus has been classified as a “variant under monitoring” by the World Health Organization. Since its first discovery in January, the variation has been identified in 29 different nations. It is a subvariant of the global dominant variant Omicron, which first appeared in 2021 and took Delta’s place.
