The BA.2.75 sub-variant of COVID-19 already accounted for as much as 58% of COVID-19 cases in the country and another subtype might emerge late this year when European visitors would arrive to avoid winter in their homeland, according to the Department of Medical Sciences.
Dr Supakit Sirilak, director-general of the department, said there was a small wave of COVID-19 infections in the country and most of them, or 58%, were cases of the BA.2.75 sub-variant because more Indian visitors were arriving.
Late this year many Europeans would escape cold weather in their homeland and arrive in Thailand. Therefore, COVID-19 strains in Thailand could change then and cases of the XBB sub-variant could rise due to the visits of European travelers, he said.
Regarding the global situation of COVID-19, Dr Supakit said the virus was mutating and avoiding antibodies. Due to the mutation, the disease would spread faster, previously infected people could fall sick of the disease again and vaccines might not be as effective as they were in the past.
He advised people to receive vaccine booster shots, saying people needed at least four jabs, not three, because the COVID-19 situation already changed. (TNA)
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