News Forum - Top doctor asks tough questions on transitioning Covid-19 to endemic

[Thaiger]

After a meeting of the National Communicable Disease Committee was held yesterday, Thailand plans to declare Covid-19 as an endemic disease by the end of this year according to the Ministry of Public Health. While this declaration has raised hope and excitement among many who are sick of the seemingly never-ending pandemic, some have questioned some of the details involved in transitioning the status of Covid-19 which has affected over 2.4 million people in Thailand. Dr Thiravat Hemachudha, a prominent expert and the Chief of the Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases Health Science Centre, took to Facebook today to […]

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[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

37 minutes ago, Thaiger said:

After a meeting of the National Communicable Disease Committee was held yesterday, Thailand plans to declare Covid-19 as an endemic disease by the end of this year according to the Ministry of Public Health. While this declaration has raised hope and excitement among many who are sick of the seemingly never-ending pandemic, some have questioned some of the details involved in transitioning the status of Covid-19 which has affected over 2.4 million people in Thailand. Dr Thiravat Hemachudha, a prominent expert and the Chief of the Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases Health Science Centre, took to Facebook today to […]

The story Top doctor asks tough questions on transitioning Covid-19 to endemic as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

The Chief of the Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases Health Science Centre has to use Facebook to ask questions of the Thai government? I certainly hope that the people he wants answers from follow him. While I am of the opinion that the decision to declare CV as an endemic has political and economic motivations behind it; at least Thailand is setting some quantifying goals. The definition of endemic used by the WHO and it's franchises is vague and has no measurable criteria. And thus provides no guidance to countries that are at different points in their recovery. The beginning and the middle of this pandemic has been second guessed and politicized. Looks like the ending will be as well.

Edited January 28, 2022 by Lawyers_Guns_and_Money
Typo

[Stonker]

35 minutes ago, Thaiger said:

After a meeting of the National Communicable Disease Committee was held yesterday, Thailand plans to declare Covid-19 as an endemic disease by the end of this year according to the Ministry of Public Health. While this declaration has raised hope and excitement among many who are sick of the seemingly never-ending pandemic, some have questioned some of the details involved in transitioning the status of Covid-19 which has affected over 2.4 million people in Thailand. Dr Thiravat Hemachudha, a prominent expert and the Chief of the Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases Health Science Centre, took to Facebook today to […]

The story Top doctor asks tough questions on transitioning Covid-19 to endemic as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

Excellent questions.

Among other things, he seems to be publicly but rather tactfully asking if the government intend washing their hands of any responsibility not only to give any financial support to anyone but to supply vaccines and to test, quarantine and treat the population - not just foreigners and expats but Thais.

 

[TopDeadSenter]

Rather him that me. Anyone else would be have their social media accounts frozen. Reminds me of a current joke.

Q.Whats the difference between conspiracy theories and facts.

A.About a year.

[oldschooler]

18 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Rather him that me. Anyone else would be have their social media accounts frozen. Reminds me of a current joke.

Q.Whats the difference between conspiracy theories and facts.

A.About a year.

Right, so how come EVERY popular conspiracy theory is immediately debunked scientifically/ factually point by point, leaving not a shred of proper evidence just false belief.That’s the real joke here& btw the above joke should have “ facts” first to make it actually funny……

[Graham]

Good luck on trying to get any sensible answers out of the current government.  555

[Cabra]

You can't have your cake and eat it too, Doctor. You can not call it endemic, and then in the next breath say we are going to require testing for everyday activities (like entering Rayong province, let's say), forced reporting (and criminalize non-reporting) of all infections, and continue quarantine in government facilities/hospitals for anyone suspected (or verified) to be with the disease. Because if that's the case, then you can call it whatever you want, but you are still behaving like it's a pandemic on order with Ebola or the black plaque. 

[Stonker]

4 hours ago, Cabra said:

You can't have your cake and eat it too, Doctor. You can not call it endemic, and then in the next breath say we are going to require testing for everyday activities (like entering Rayong province, let's say), forced reporting (and criminalize non-reporting) of all infections, and continue quarantine in government facilities/hospitals for anyone suspected (or verified) to be with the disease. Because if that's the case, then you can call it whatever you want, but you are still behaving like it's a pandemic on order with Ebola or the black plaque. 

... and if it's only rated as endemic there's no need for free vaccines either, rather like 'flu .

[oldschooler]

4 minutes ago, Stonker said:

... and if it's only rated as endemic there's no need for free vaccines either, rather like 'flu .

Article said “‘consider by end of year”’ not done now.
Fairly Meaningless Announcement even by Thai govt. standards of pointless. 
Should be well behind us long before end of year.
 

[Stonker]

7 minutes ago, oldschooler said:

Article said “‘consider by end of year”’ not done now.
Fairly Meaningless Announcement even by Thai govt. standards of pointless. 
Should be well behind us long before end of year.
 

Yes ... WW2 will be over by Christmas

[oldschooler]

15 minutes ago, Stonker said:

Yes ... WW2 will be over by Christmas

you mean WW Three perhaps with Ukraine & Taiwan situations……

 Now THATS a topic worth talking about

[Disenfranchised]

In epidemiology, an infection is said to be endemic in a population when that infection is constantly maintained at a baseline level in a geographic area without external inputs. For example, chickenpox is endemic in the United Kingdom, but malaria is not.

I suppose the only reason COVID isn't endemic is when a new variant arises that spreads globally. Of course, this happens with influenza every year a new variant or an old one which hasn't been seen for a few years arises. 

Anyway, it is certainly time to be heading back to normal and accepting the fact that COVID is not going to disappear like the Spanish flu did. 

Now that vaccines are readilly available, let people live or die by the decisions they make.