#Thailand - 31 provinces now at orange or yellow levels for Covid-19 risk

 

More provinces were added to Covid-19 risk areas coded orange and yellow.

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Thursday had decided to color code provinces as red, orange, yellow or green, depending on the level of coronavirus risk and the strength of measures taken in each province.

On Friday, the CCSA did not clarify the colour assigned to each province. However, based on several official updates on patient numbers, color codes were assigned. 

Of the 32 provinces where Covid-19 cases have been confirmed, the only one marked as red was Samut Sakhon. 

Those in orange, pointing to more than 10 cases, were: Bangkok, Samut Songkhram, Ratchaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan.

Provinces marked yellow -- fewer than 10 cases -- were: Saraburi, Suphanburi, Pathum Thani, Uttaradit, Kamphaeng Phet, Phetchabun, Chachoengsao, Ayutthaya, Phuket, Phetchaburi, Nakhon Ratchasima, Prachinburi, Krabi, Khon Kaen, Chai Nat, Udon Thani, Phichit, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Sawan, Ang Thong, Ubon Ratchathani, Songkhla and Loei. 

The rest of the provinces were marked green to show no Covid-19 cases had been reported in the new wave of infections.

Source - The Nation

Airports most prone to viruses

In public places such as airports, viruses inevitably lurk in every corner. Countless people make contact in planes, waiting areas and bathrooms every day.

“Flying probably accelerated the spread of the H1N1 virus in 2009,” said Dr. Alison Galdy from the University of Minnesota Infection Prevention as quoted by Travel+Leisure.

Fox 9 reported several “virus hot zones” in airports that should be avoided, such as toilet handles, armrests on chairs, kiosk screens and handrails. However, the riskiest item is the plastic bins used during security screenings. 

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It is said that travelers dump everything from toothbrushes to children’s diaper bags into them on a regular basis. The trays are also rarely cleaned.

According to healthcare company the Mayo Clinic, the flu virus can survive on stainless steel, plastic and similar hard surfaces for more than 48 hours. This increases the chances of viral transmissions to humans through contact.

Travelers should also avoid touching their faces too often because it spreads germs quickly. Fox 9 reported that people touch their faces subconsciously as often as three to five times an hour.

 

Source - TheJakartaPost 

Floodwaters can carry deadly disease, DDC warns

People living in flooded areas have been warned to keep time spent wading through water to a minimum lest they be infected with melioidosis, a disease that has claimed 21 lives this year.

Department of Disease Control (DDC) chief Dr Jessada Chokdamrongsuk reported on Monday that 1,978 cases of melioidosis had been reported from January 1 to August 22.

The disease, caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei and prevalent during the rainy season in the subtropics, peaks every August in Thailand and has been wider spread this year, he said. 

The bacterium thrives in contaminated water and soil and infects humans and animals through direct contact. 

“People could get infected from prolonged exposure to contaminated water or soil, especially if they have any open sores or lesions in the skin,” Jessada said. “Infection can also come from consuming contaminated water or food.” 

Melioidosis produces a variety of acute and severe symptoms, he said, including long-lasting fever with no other apparent cause, ulcers or abscesses in the lungs, liver or spleen, and blood infections. 

The disease, which mainly affects adults, can fatal, he said. Death has been known to result within 2-3 days of admission to hospital. 

Risk factors for infection include chronic respiratory and lung disease, tuberculosis, diabetes, chronic renal disease, thalassemia, cancer, and immune-suppressing conditions unrelated to HIV.

Jessada advised people coming into regular contact with floodwater to wear boots, drink only water that’s been boiled, avoid raw and partially cooked food, wash immediately after exposure and seek medical attention if a fever persists for more than five days or abscesses become chronic. 

Source - TheNation