The number of hospital admissions due to Covid has been on a continual decline in Thailand, but two cases of the XBB strain have now been found. This has prompted the health ministry to elevate the disease screening intensity at airports to screen for infected persons who traveled from abroad.
Department of Medical Sciences (DMS) Director-General Supakit Sirilak said 128 Covid samples were randomly inspected last week. All samples were found to be of the Omicron variant, with most being of the BA.5 sub-variant. The BA.2.75 sub-variant was not found in any of the samples.
Dr. Supakit reported two persons were found infected with the XBB sub-variant of Omicron. The first is a 60-year-old foreign woman who had traveled from abroad. The person did not experience coughs or fever during isolation, and has already recovered. The second person is a 49-year-old Thai woman who presented with coughs and irritation of the throat. The person did not experience fever and has already recovered.
The Department of Disease Control (DDC) urged people traveling abroad to exercise caution and pay heed to the advisory issued by the local health authority. DDC Deputy Director-General Sopon Iamsirithaworn said people should wear facemasks in crowded areas and keep the social distancing code. They should also wash their hands regularly with soap and water or use alcohol gel. Those who have yet to receive the booster dose of vaccine should do so, as the booster shot will lessen symptoms severity in patients. (NNT)
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