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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002484

Shortage of personnel hits Covid testing service at many Bangkok hospitals

Several hospitals in Bangkok and vicinity have suspended Covid-19 testing due to shortage of personnel, as they had to also deal with several cases in their workplace.

The hospitals that have suspended the Covid-19 tests are: Siriraj Piyamaharajkarun,Vibhavadi, Mali Interdisciplinary Hospital, Paolo, Nakornthon, Mahachai, Phyathai 2 (ARI Clinic), Princ Suvarnabhumi and Synphaet Ramintra.

The test service was suspended from the middle of this week. The resumption date has not been announced.

Published : June 26, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002483

Vaccine recipients urged to avoid using antibody kits for self-testing

The Department of Medical Sciences has advised people against buying antibody testing kits to test themselves after getting a Covid-19 vaccine, as the result could be inaccurate and might cause misunderstanding.

“The department already has an immunity tracking system among vaccine recipients, so people need not perform the tests on themselves,” department director-general Dr Supphakit Siriluck said on Friday.

It is also the recommendation of the World Health Organization and the United States FDA, he said.

Supphakit added that the antibody efficient in preventing Covid-19 is called a neutralising antibody, while the antibody testing kits that are available in the market can only test general antibody and cannot accurately measure the level of neutralising antibody in the body.

“It is highly recommended to only use antibody testing kits that have passed the approval of the Food and Drug Administration and under supervision of doctors or medical professionals, as the testing must be further interpreted and analysed alongside the candidate’s symptoms and other test results,” he said.

“Using these test kits at home could result in misunderstanding or other problems related to communicable disease control.

“To stay safe from Covid-19 after getting vaccinated, people should continue wearing face mask, wash their hands regularly and maintain social distancing,” he recommended.

Published : June 26, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002482

Swiss embassy arranges free vaccination for nationals in mid-July

Switzerlands embassy in Bangkok has secured AstraZeneca vaccination appointments for 20 of its citizens in a private hospital in Bangkok.

To register, Swiss citizens aged 60 and above can send their name, date of birth and passport number to Bangkok.event@eda.admin.ch

Applications will be accepted on a first come first served basis, the embassy said.

The embassy has asked nationals to avoid communicating private information in the comments, as they will not be taken into account for registration. The embassy also urged people not to go to the hospital in person until the appointment has been confirmed. Vaccination will be free of charge and should happen around mid-July, the embassy said.

Swiss citizens living outside of Bangkok are also eligible for this vaccination opportunity but must be able to travel to Bangkok. “We are in contact with hospitals outside Bangkok and hope to offer such opportunities there in the future. For any medical advice, please consult your doctor,” the embassy said.

“For the latest information on Covid-19, please consult our website, most recent social media updates and #AskTheEmbassy livestreams,” the embassy handout said.

Published : June 26, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002480

Senator Lertrit tests positive for Covid-19

The Secretariat of the Senate on Friday announced that Senator General Lertrit Wetchasawan has tested positive for Covid-19.

“Lertrit was tested on June 24 and alerted the Secretariat on Friday of the positive result,” it said. “He has been admitted to Phramongkutklao Hospital.”

Lertrit’s travel history this week is as follow:

June 21: Took leave from work and stayed at home all day as he was feeling under the weather.

June 22: Attended a meeting at Parliament and made contact with some officials. He started feeling ill and had fever.

June 23: Attended a meeting at Parliament but went home early as his fever worsened. He learned that his wife had tested positive for Covid-19 that afternoon.

June 24: Took leave from work and went to Phramongkutklao Hospital to get tested. He left the hospital at 10.30am and stayed home alone.

June 25: The hospital notified him at 2pm that he was infected and then picked him up for treatment.

The Secretariat urged Parliament officials and people who have had close contact with Lertrit this week to remain in self-quarantine and monitor their symptoms closely. Those who have high risk of infection should get tested at hospitals or mobile testing units.

Published : June 26, 2021

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002478

No Bangkok lockdown, PM insists, but shuts infected construction sites for a month

The meeting of the Centre of Covid-19 Situation Administration has rejected a proposal to lock down Bangkok and its perimeter areas as well as the four southern provinces of Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat to contain the spread of Covid-19, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Friday.

The proposal came from the Ministry of Public Health, which cited the concerns of several doctors and medical experts that hospital beds and ICU rooms in these areas were mostly occupied while the number of new infections in the country were still rising at around 3,000 to 4,000 patients per day. Also, the rental contracts of several field hospitals in Bangkok are about to expire, which will further reduce the city’s capacity to treat new patients.

“There will be no lockdown in Bangkok, its surrounding provinces and the four southern provinces,” said Prayut, who chaired the CCSA meeting. “However, construction sites that have reported infections will be shut down for a month. The Ministry of Labour will be responsible for taking care of affected Thai and migrant labourers.”

No Bangkok lockdown, PM insists, but shuts infected construction sites for a month

The prime minister also urged people to refrain from travelling to reduce the chances of the virus spreading to wider areas.

“If inter-provincial travel is unavoidable, please strictly adhere to Ministry of Public Health’s disease control measures and other measures announced by each province,” he said. “If you have to enter Bangkok, we urge you to remain in self-quarantine for 14 days and refrain from going to crowded areas.”

Published : June 26, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002470

Isolated heavy rains forecast for the Northeast and west coast of the South

The Thailand Meteorological Department said on Saturday that the low-pressure cell covering Laos and upper Vietnam would bring isolated heavy rains to the Northeast.

Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon prevails across the Andaman Sea, Thailand, and the Gulf of Thailand, resulting in less rains in the North, the Central and the East and isolated heavy rains on the west coast of the South.

Waves in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand are expected to rise 1-2 metres and two metres during thundershowers.

The weather forecast for the next 24 hours:

North: Thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 23-26 degrees Celsius, highs of 33-36°C.

Northeast: Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas with gusty winds and isolated heavy.rains; temperature lows of 23-26°C, highs of 30-36°C.

Central: Thundershowers in 20 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 25-26°C, highs of 33-37°C.

East: Thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 24-28°C, highs of 32-35°C; waves 1-2 metres high and two metres during thundershowers.

South (east coast): Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 23-25°C, highs of 31-35°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 21-24°C, highs of 29-32°C; waves 1-2 metres high and two metres during thundershowers.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Thundershowers in 10 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 26-28°C, highs of 34-37°C.

Source: Thailand Meteorological Department

Published : June 26, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002468

Thai Matthayom students win third place in international satellite contest.

SPOROS, a team of students from Assumption College, won third place in the CanSat 2021 online mini-satellite competition on Tuesday. SPOROS, the only team from Thailand to make it to the finals

SPOROS, the only team from Thailand to make it to the finals, is made up of five students from the Engineering Faculty. The members are Phacharaphon Suchindawat, Warisanan Rattanachaipong, Papop Lekhapanyaporn, Thanpisit Kangsathien and Sirawut Chanthawornkit.
Here’s a videoclip of their project and determination to win.
 

The five members of SPOROS assemble their mini-satellite for the CanSat 2021 competition held in the US.
This year, the competition was held online due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
SPOROS was the only Thai team to make to the final round of 48. The Thai team is made up of Matthayom students instead of university students like in other teams.
SPOROS won third place with a total score of 98.59 per cent, 0.59 per cent lower than the winner.
The members thanked their teacher for giving them knowledge they can use to build their future.

CanSat is an international competition on assembling a can-sized satellite that works like a real one.

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Published : June 25, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002464

CCSA eyes locking down only high-risk areas in Bangkok

The Department of Disease Control has proposed that only infection hotspots be locked down in Bangkok, Dr Apisamai Srirangsan, assistant spokesperson for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said on Friday.

“The proposal is to close down areas where there is a high risk of Covid-19 transmissions, such as workers’ camps or specific businesses that may speed up transmissions,” she said.

“Locking down an entire province may not be a suitable measure to control clusters, as it could spread infections more widely.”

Apisamai cited the lockdown of Yala province after cluster cases were found in the Markaz Community. This province-wide lockdown saw locals slipping through to other provinces and eventually spreading the virus over a wider area.

“CCSA will discuss the proposal at a meeting this afternoon with the prime minister, as well as Public Health, Labour and Interior ministers,” Apisamai added.

Bangkok reported 1,142 new infections on Friday, bringing the cumulative number of cases since April 1 to 64,977 and 19 deaths.

Published : June 25, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002462

The Delta variant: What to look out for

New Covid-19 cases in Thailand have been rising by 3,000 to 4,000 per day, driven mainly by the highly transmissible Delta variant.

This strain was first detected among 15 workers at a construction camp in Bangkok’s Lak Si district on May 21.

As of June 24, 661 Delta cases have been detected and the infection rate is climbing fast.

With this variant, patients do not lose their sense of taste and smell as they do with the Alpha variant. Though the symptoms of the Delta variant are like those of a bad cold, doctors still advise patients to immediately seek treatment.

The Delta variant: What to look out for

Published : June 25, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002461

Bangkok opens almost 600 more hospital beds as virus toll rises

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) said on Friday it would add almost 600 hospital beds for the treatment of Covid-19 patients, as the worsening outbreak threatens to overwhelm hospitals. The capital recorded 20 deaths and 1,142 new cases on Friday.

After meeting with public health agencies at City Hall on Friday, Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang said 40 beds will be added to Ratchaphiphat Hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) by July 10.

Meanwhile, another 70 beds will be available at Bangkhunthian Geriatric Hospital, and more than 300 at Ratchaphiphat field hospital.

“A total of 596 beds will be made available for Covid-19 patients at risk of developing severe symptoms,” he said.

He added that the BMA is speeding up cooperation with hospitals to set up more hospitels to accommodate less severely ill patients.

Bangkok opens almost 600 more hospital beds as virus toll risesBangkok opens almost 600 more hospital beds as virus toll rises

Bangkok opens almost 600 more hospital beds as virus toll risesBangkok opens almost 600 more hospital beds as virus toll risesBangkok opens almost 600 more hospital beds as virus toll rises

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Published : June 25, 2021

By : The Nation