Thread: Masks, isolation, free jabs: How to stay safe as COVID surges again

COVID-19 has resurfaced as a public concern in Thailand, with daily infections climbing back into the thousands.


On May 26, health authorities reported 14,156 new cases, bringing the total number this year to 220,093 – a sharp jump from 187,031 just two days earlier. COVID fatalities also rose from 46 to 51 over the two days.


Cases are especially high among children, forcing large schools such as the Ratwinit Bangkaeo School in Samut Prakan to halt classes and switch to online learning in a bid to stem the outbreak.

Latest situation


The Disease Control Department (DCD) has warned that COVID-19 is spreading fast again.


Since mid-April, health authorities have recorded 6,000 to 8,000 new cases daily.


These figures likely represent the tip of the iceberg since they do not include people unaware they have been infected and those who do not report their infection.


The daily infection rate surged again after children returned to schools for the start of the new semester earlier this month.


In response, the authorities are once again urging people to use face masks and maintain physical distancing in public places.


“Always keep your face mask on in crowded areas and be sure to wash your hands frequently too,” Dr Jurai Wongsawat, spokeswoman of the Disease Control Department, said recently.


She emphasised that children should be kept away from school if they develop respiratory symptoms.


Meanwhile, the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) has stepped up the production of COVID medications Favipiravir and Molnupiravir to help control the outbreak.


“Demand is rising, and we are closely monitoring the situation,” said Dr Mingkwan Suphannaphong, managing director of the GPO.


Although the COVID-19 fatality rate has dropped sharply from 0.14% at the peak of the pandemic to 0.02% today, the disease remains highly infectious and also deadly in severe cases.


Free COVID-19 jabs for vulnerable groups are once again being offered at state hospitals and certain private facilities.


Those eligible for free vaccination include individuals aged over 65, those with chronic diseases such as asthma, kidney failure, obstructive pulmonary diseases, and thalassemia, pregnant women, children under 3, and obese people.

What if you get COVID-19?


Most people will recover fully from COVID-19 with just rest and basic medicines such as fever reducers, decongestants, and mucolytics. However, those who suffer more severe symptoms will need extra medical help.


Dr Jiraruj Chomchoey, a paediatrician and respiratory disease specialist at Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital, advises that infants infected by COVID tend to develop worrying conditions such as high fever, lethargy, diarrhoea, and lung issues.


Vulnerable groups may also develop serious symptoms. As of press time, several thousand COVID patients were hospitalised with severe symptoms or for being at higher risk.


The National Health Security Office (NHSO), which manages the universal coverage healthcare scheme that covers most Thais, has urged people to see a doctor if their COVID-19 symptoms turn serious.


Those with just minor symptoms, meanwhile, can pick up basic care kits from participating primary healthcare centres or pharmacies.


They also have the option of consulting healthcare providers via three telemedicine apps: Clicknic, Mordee and Saluber MD.


Once COVID-19 patients have seen a doctor online, any medicines prescribed will be sent to their home.


Health authorities advise COVID sufferers to self-isolate for five days. They may leave isolation in their room or house after that period if their condition has significantly improved.


However, between Days 6 and 10, they should wear a mask and keep a safe distance from others.


Importantly, COVID-19 patients whose symptoms do not improve within one week are urged to consult a doctor.

Masks, isolation, free jabs: How to stay safe as COVID surges again

Free COVID-19 jabs for vulnerable groups are once again being offered at state hospitals and certain private facilities.

I understood they don't have any vaccines for the current variants, simply leftover Astrazeneca and the chinky shit.

In January, a new COVID-19 variant known as NB.1.8.1 was first detected in China. On May 23, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified NB.1.8.1 as a variant that public health officials "may require prioritized attention and monitoring." As of mid-May, the variant had reached 10.7% of global reported COVID-19 cases, according to WHO.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/oth...81/ar-AA1FAJfx

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

I understood they don't have any vaccines for the current variants, simply leftover Astrazeneca and the chinky shit.

They would be well past their expiry date anyway. Astra Zeneca is no longer given in Australia, but the two jabs I had before getting Covid the first time primed my system to kill it off in 24 hours, after which I recovered faster than from any virus I have had.

After then getting one or two Pfizer jabs, my second bout of Covid eight months later seemed more like a lightish dose of the flu, lasting for a week, but I got Long Covid after that. Either that or I now have an autoimmune disease like Epstein Barre Syndrome which was triggered by Covid. It's a nasty virus.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

I understood they don't have any vaccines for the current variants, simply leftover Astrazeneca and the chinky shit.

I think the efficacy of the Chinese vaccine might be pretty limited. Heaps of Chinese appear to have died from Covid. They've really hushed that up.

Pondering get another vaccination myself.

i have had 7 or 8 covid jabs, and am getting another one next week, but i have still caught covid twice. this is in the uk.

the first time a couple of years ago it was no more than a heavy cold, but i lost taste and smell for a couple of weeks, the second time was a mild cold, it lasted a couple of days, and had i not tested myself i wouldnt have known it was covid.

my wife, a needle phobic who only had the first jab 4 or 5 years ago, never caught it even though we share the same living space.

i have come to think that the lockdowns were a BIG mistake and have caused social and economic problems that will reverberate for years.

it is the old and the weak who should have been protected, not the fit and the healthy who should have carried on as normal, but at the time we had no idea what we were facing. fuck china.

Originally Posted by taxexile

it is the old and the weak who should have been protected, not the fit and the healthy who should have carried on as normal

Did Boris not say something like 'Let it rip!'? It seemed to me at the time, looking from afar, that the main reason that didn't happen was that they needed to manage the numbers of people in ICU. Masses of bodies in the corridors would have been a political nightmare. The hospitals were still swamped but by limiting the speed at which Covid spread they could manage the hospital load a bit better. This dragged things out for much longer than might have been necessary while giving the public some vague illusion that the government was somehow in control. It was in fact a clusterfook and a lot of people suffered a lot more pain than they needed to have. In my opinion.
I didn't get locked down in Thailand although I was quite careful. I got the jabs and still caught Covid. Glad to say it was no big deal for me, not as bad as man flu.

Originally Posted by Salsa dancer

Either that or I now have an autoimmune disease like Epstein Barre Syndrome which was triggered by Covid. It's a nasty virus.

Epstein-Barr is not an autoimmune disease you utter muppet.

Epstein-Barr is caused by a virus (unsurprisingly commonly called the Epstein-Barr virus).

You are probably thinking of Guillain-Barre syndrome - which IS an autoimmune disease, but it is one where you would not be "wondering" about if you have it or not.

Guillain-Barre syndrome - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

Guillain-Barre syndrome is a serious condition that requires immediate hospitalization because it can worsen quickly. The sooner treatment is started, the better the chance of a complete recovery.

^ Now why on earth did I take you off Ignore ?

Yes, I was distracted whilst typing. And Guillain-Barre syndrome has a few variants, one of which I am being tested for.

It's nice you acknowledge you fucked up and didn't try to double down. Not SAD at all

AI has been a great boon, when doctors have disappointingly not been proactive at all.


ChatGPT said:

COVID-19 can potentially trigger autoimmune diseases, and in some cases, the onset and progression can be slow, unfolding over months.

Here's how this might happen:

1. Post-viral Autoimmune Activation

After the acute infection, COVID-19 can dysregulate the immune system. In some people, this may trigger:

• Molecular mimicry (where the immune system confuses self-proteins for virus proteins),
• Persistent immune activation, or
• Bystander activation (where immune cells damage healthy tissue while targeting infected cells).

2. Documented Autoimmune Conditions Post-COVID

Several autoimmune conditions have been observed to emerge or worsen after COVID-19:

• Guillain-Barré syndrome
• Lupus (SLE)
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
• Type 1 diabetes
• Multiple sclerosis-like syndromes
• Myositis and inflammatory muscle diseases

Some patients develop “latent” or subclinical autoimmunity — meaning autoantibodies appear before full-blown disease develops, which can take months.


3. Slow Progression

The autoimmune process doesn’t always flare up dramatically. Instead, symptoms like fatigue, joint pain, muscle weakness, brain fog, or numbness may appear subtly and gradually worsen. This is consistent with reports of long COVID cases, where immune dysregulation persists and may evolve into recognized autoimmune conditions.

Covid-19 surge forces Samut Prakan school to close until June 9

Bangkaew Demonstration School, under the Bangkaew Municipality in Bang Phli District, Samut Prakan Province, has announced a temporary closure due to a significant surge in Covid-19 cases among high-risk students.

To ensure the utmost safety of students, the school will suspend classes from June 4 to June 6, 2025. During this closure, students are encouraged to review lessons and complete exercises offline (on hand).


Classes will resume as usual on June 9, 2025. The school also urges students, teachers, and staff to take care of their health, avoid high-risk areas to minimize infection risk, and strictly adhere to Covid-19 prevention guidelines.




Between May 18 and 24, there were 67,484 new cases and 8 deaths reported. As of May 27, the cumulative number of cases this year reached 211,717, with 51 deaths in total.


Data from the Department of Medical Sciences shows that from January 2024 to May 6, 2025, the Omicron JN.1 variant accounted for 63.92% of cases in Thailand, while the XEC variant dropped to 3.07%. Other variants of concern continue to be monitored.


Although the new variants do not cause more severe symptoms, they are spreading faster than before, the department added.

Covid-19 surge forces Samut Prakan school to close until June 9

Covids all over Bangkok again. Unfortunately this time we don't get a week off.