Thai Public Health Ministry braces for more COVID-19 patients

13 Sept 12:37 Key points summarised by AI

The Public Health Ministry has ordered state hospitals and provincial health chiefs to prepare personnel, facilities, and isolation services for an anticipated surge in serious COVID-19 cases, especially the Omicron variant.
The ministry urges vulnerable groups, including those over 60 and individuals with underlying diseases, to receive vaccine booster shots and has upgraded the COVID-19 infection risk to Level 4.
A respiratory expert suggests shifting focus from preventing infections to reducing severe illness and deaths, advocating for accelerated booster vaccination and stronger efforts to convince hesitant high-risk groups.
The expert also recommends administering Paxlovid, not Favipiravir, to unvaccinated or partially vaccinated high-risk individuals within five days of infection to significantly reduce severe symptoms and death, noting Paxlovid's future availability in Thailand.

Flooding persists in Bangkok and 22 provinces

Today 16:00 Key points summarised by AI

Persistent flooding continues across Bangkok and 22 Thai provinces, though water levels are gradually receding in many affected areas.
Over 604,000 families, impacting approximately 1.83 million people, are still grappling with the widespread flood conditions.
The national flood death toll has reached 80 since mid-September, with fatalities reported across various provinces.
Major regions like Pathum Thani, Ayutthaya, and Bangkok report significant numbers of affected households, with hundreds of thousands still in trouble.