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https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40018362

Hua Hin’s bid for a spot among the world’s top five medical/wellness destinations got a booster on Saturday with the launch of a new clinic targeting high-end tourists.

Chevala Wellness Hua Hin opened in collaboration with InterContinental Resort at the coastal resort’s Bluport Mall.

It offers wellness and beauty programmes designed by a team of specialists led by Dr Ratkawin Jitawatanarat, an American Board of Hematology, oncology and anti-ageing specialist. The programmes include meals and accommodation at the resort.

The global wellness economy is projected to grow 9.9 per cent per year, reaching nearly US$7 trillion in 2025 as the world rebounds from Covid-19.

According to the Public Health Ministry, medical tourism now makes up 15 per cent of Thailand’s tourism markets, trailing nature, food, and cultural tourism.

Spending on Thai medical tourism is also growing 25-27 per cent per year, driven by tourists from the Middle East, South Asia, Europe, and the US.

The launch of Chevala also aligns with the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s campaign to make the country the “Medical and Wellness Resort of the World” by 2024.

“Chevala was developed because we realised that Thailand has never had a fully integrated evidence-based medical wellness centre that provides a truly comprehensive body and mind healing experience by medical specialists,” said Dr Ratkawin, its chief medical director.

“Apart from the medical programmes, we also offer hearty chef-prepared meals and exercise courses with certified trainers for an all-inclusive health programme.”

Ratkawin sees great potential for Thailand’s health and wellness sectors, as more tourists fly in to seek treatments.

“Not only is Thailand home to internationally recognised expertise and state-of-the-art facilities, but it also offers competitive service prices, stunning nature, and beautiful cultural attractions. The country is already among Asia’s top 10 medical hubs,” she said.

She also noted Hua Hin’s reputation as a top beach resort, with Prachuap Khiri Khan province attracting 3.6 million local and international tourists in the first five months (January-May) of this year.

“The province also ranked among Thailand’s top three destinations, generating revenue of 12.352 billion baht. We believe this partnership is a stepping stone for Thailand’s journey toward becoming a world-class wellness destination. The project is part of our contribution to Thailand’s economic recovery through wellness tourism.”

Chevala is targeting InterContinental Hua Hin Resort customers as well as non-guests with five services: Long Covid recovery programme, anti-ageing programme, immunity booster, detox, and cardiovascular strengthening programme.

Visit http://www.chevala.com/th/, call 096 919 2190, or email info@chevala.com.

Published : July 31, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40018294

The lack of immunity from vaccination when the BA.1 subvariant first started to spread has made new subvariants of Omicron more severe than BA.5, a senior virologist has said.

In a Facebook post, Dr Anan Jongkaewwattana, director of the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology’s Veterinary Health Innovation and Management Research Group, said that most patients did not have immunity from vaccines when the BA.1 subvariant was spreading initially.

Anan cited the study “Neutralisation of Omicron sublineages and Deltacron Sars-CoV-2 by three doses of BNT162b2 vaccine or BA.1 infection”, which was published on Wednesday.

He said that scientists took natural immunity from BA.1 subvariant to test the capability to prevent new BA subvariants.

The study result revealed that the BA.1 subvariant was different from the original variant and natural immunity could not prevent older variants.

It was similar to how natural immunity from older variants could not also prevent the BA.1 subvariant if a person did not receive the booster dose of vaccines.

He explained that it reflected how the mutation of Omicron subvariants could change suddenly.

Interestingly, Omicron subvariants (BA.2, BA.3 and BA.4/BA.5) that people expected to be similar to BA.1 are true, but they also could evade immunity from BA.1.

He said that the immunity from the BA.1 subvariant could almost certainly not prevent BA.4/BA.5 subvariants.

Anan mentioned that the US Food and Drug Administration wanted new booster doses to target BA.4/BA.5 subvariants instead of the BA.1 subvariant.

However, there might be newer Omicron subvariants in the future and the immunity from the BA.5 subvariant might not be able to prevent them.

Published : July 29, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40018288

An expert virologist provided an insight into why it is difficult to control the spread of monkeypox.

In a Facebook post on Friday, Dr Yong Poovorawan said infected persons do not develop many initial symptoms, so the disease is difficult to diagnose.

Comparing monkeypox to HIV, he said 40 years ago HIV spread quickly because there were no initial symptoms, so patients took no precautions.

However, he said, the only difference is that monkeypox patients recover within two to four weeks and are no longer a threat to others.

Yong said the monkeypox virus is spreading and the spread is not likely to slow down. There are more than 17,000 patients in 75 countries, mostly in Europe and the US. So far, there have only been five deaths from monkeypox, and they were all in Africa.

He also pointed out that though the World Health Organisation report did not provide statistics, current information shows that more than 98 per cent of patients are men. He added that for now, the disease is spreading among men who have sex with men and that 40 per cent of the lesions occur in the genital region.

Yong said if the disease cannot be controlled, it will spread to others and even pets, which will make the disease even more difficult to control.

Published : July 29, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40018166

People who have recovered from Covid-19 may develop up to 62 underlying conditions that may last for many weeks or even months.

In his Facebook post on Tuesday, Thira Woratanarat, a lecturer at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine, cited a study published on Monday in the Nature Medicine journal. The study, conducted over 12 weeks on 486,149 non-hospitalised Covid-19 patients, lists conditions developed a post-Covid infection or long Covid.

The study was adjusted based on age, sex, ethnic group, socioeconomic status, smoking, BMI and chronic conditions, he said.

Apart from an impact on the respiratory system, heart, circulation, memory and concentration, he said long-Covid sufferers have also complained of hair loss at four times higher than those who have not been infected. He added that long Covid also puts the reproductive system at risk.

“Covid-19 patients face a 1.26 times higher risk of developing erectile dysfunction than those not infected,” he said, adding that men can also develop ejaculation difficulties and reduced libido.

He said long Covid can affect people’s quality of life, relationships and can increase long-term expenses. Hence, people should continue protecting themselves, especially those at risk of developing severe symptoms, he added.

Published : July 26, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40018162

Thailand’s daily count of Covid-19 cases is on an upward trend thanks to the highly infectious Omicron BA.5 subvariant, vice chair of the Public Health Commission said on Tuesday.

Chalermchai Boonyaleephan said Thailand’s fourth wave of Covid-19 infections was sparked in January with the arrival of the Omicron variant. He added that the more Omicron mutates, BA.1 to BA.5, the more easily transmissible it becomes.

He added that from July 17 to 23, the number of Covid-19 infections had surged 40.11 per cent to 31,582 from 22,542 in the week of July 10-16.

He added that the number of patients who developed lung inflammation and those requiring respirators rose to 834 and 383 respectively in the week of July 17-23, compared to 781 and 345 in the previous week.

He also said that the number of Covid-19 deaths is rising, with 29, 30 and 32 recorded over the past three days (July 23-25).

“The surge in deaths is in line with the trend of fatalities rising one or two weeks after infections increase,” he said.

The only way infections can be kept low is if people get at least three Covid-19 shots to protect themselves. So far, only 44.1 per cent of people in Thailand have received their third jab.

He added that Omicron BA.5 spreads five times faster than the original Wuhan strain and 3.6 times faster than the Delta strain.

“Hence, we should be disciplined and protect ourselves by wearing a face mask, observing social distancing, washing hands frequently and getting boosters, especially those in the vulnerable group,” he said.

He added that many people were good at protecting themselves from the Delta variant last year.

Published : July 26, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40018119

Covid-19 will be with us forever, a lung specialist declared on his Facebook page on Monday.

Dr Manoon Leechawengwongs, a respiratory specialist at Vichaiyut Hospital, pointed out that the virus has been mutating and new Covid-19 strains will spread faster and escape people’s immunity.

For instance, he said, the Omicron BA.5 subvariant, which was originally found in South Africa, became the dominant strain in many countries by February this year, just four months after the Omicron BA.1 subvariant was first found in November last year.

Meanwhile, the Omicron BA.2.75, also referred to by some as “Centaurus”, was discovered in June and has been spreading in India and 15 other countries.

He said medical authorities should monitor Omicron BA.2.75 closely to see if it spreads any faster than Omicron BA.5.

“The important thing is Covid-19 variants originating in South Africa and India are likely to spread around the world again and again,” he added.

Published : July 25, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40018114

With Thailand going on high alert over monkeypox, Dr Chalermchai Boonyaleephan, vice chair of the Public Health Commission, is offering protection tips.

In a post on the Blockdit platform on Sunday, the doctor said more than 16,000 people in 75 countries have been infected with monkeypox since May this year.

He also pointed out that the disease is no longer endemic to Africa because most patients have not travelled there before.

Hence, Dr Chalermchai said, the best way of protecting oneself from monkeypox is as follows:

• Avoid engaging in physical contact with sex workers or strangers as 90 per cent of monkeypox patients were infected from sexual contact.

• Avoid touching others as monkeypox can be transmitted via blisters or pus.

• Avoid sharing clothes or belongings as the virus remains active on items.

• Avoid picking the nose, rubbing eyes or putting a hand in the mouth as the virus can enter that way.

• Avoid touching animals that can be monkeypox carriers, especially imported rodents like rats and rabbits.

• Wash hands frequently as soap and alcohol gel can kill the virus.

• Wear a face mask when in crowded areas monkeypox can be transmitted via saliva droplets.

Dr Chalermchai, however, said monkeypox was not as worrisome as Covid-19 as this virus does not spread that quickly. He also noted that there are plenty of vaccines and drugs that can deal with monkeypox effectively.

“Having an accurate understanding of the virus will help people stay calm and careful,” he said, adding that protective measures for monkeypox are similar to those for Covid-19.

Published : July 25, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40017942

An expert on infectious diseases revealed nine facts about “post-Covid conditions”, or “long Covid”.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Dr Thiravat Hemachudha, head of Chulalongkorn University’s Information Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases, noted that long Covid is a syndrome that occurs after a patient is infected with the virus.

He pointed out nine interesting facts:

1. The severity of long Covid is not related to the severity of the disease when infected.

2. Anyone who has been infected can experience it.

3. The syndrome can affect any part of the body or several organs or systems at the same time.

4. It is a symptom experienced by the body even three months after recovery and could be more severe or bring about new symptoms.

5. Myalgic encephalomyelitis, or chronic fatigue syndrome, has been known for some time now but long Covid is severe and could remain longer in the body than other viruses.

6. Brain and psycho-emotional symptoms are found in 30 per cent or more of patients that have recovered. It could cause “brain fog”, slow thinking, short memory, dementia or mood swings, especially in people who are affected or going to suffer with dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s.

7. To treat the syndrome, we must make sure if there is any inflammation in the body or brain. If there is, steps must be taken to stop it while considering the side effects of prescribed medicines. Also, factors that might stimulate inflammation must be strictly avoided.

8. This is a warning that people should not be careless and become infected with Covid-19.

9. The best way to prevent long Covid is to treat yourself as quickly as possible.

Published : July 20, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40017933

Some people who have been infected with Covid-19 can experience effects from their infection, known as post-Covid conditions (PCC) or long Covid. Current evidence suggests approximately 10%-20% of people experience a variety of effects after they recover from their initial illness. 

This Q&A will help you understand more about long Covid.

Published : July 20, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40017813

With Covid-19 cases in Thailand surging again due to the highly infectious Omicron BA.4/5 subvariants, demand for some herbal remedies is rising again.

This latest increase comes after the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) removed the facemask mandate for open areas, prompting people to let their guard down.

The jump in Covid-19 cases is also making access to treatment difficult, creating a lack of hospital beds, long queues and issues related to registration for treatment.

Even though the National Health Security Office has confirmed that pharmacies under its jurisdiction are ready to prescribe drugs for Covid-19 patients, it does not mean prescriptions will be given at all pharmacies.

Hence, it is advised that people purchase all necessary remedies in advance.

They are:

1. Fah talai jone (green chireta/Andrographis paniculate)

Adults should consume 60 milligrams of fah talai jone thrice a day for five days as soon as they test positive for Covid-19. The dosage should be reduced to 11mg for children. This traditional herbal medicine has been proved to kill the virus in vitro.

2. Paracetamol

Patients suffering from fever or headache can consume paracetamol every four to six hours.

3. Makham Pom (gooseberry) cough syrup

This syrup can be consumed thrice daily to soothe cough or sore throat.

4. Ginger

This spice can help boost immunity against Covid-19, reduce phlegm, relieve nasal congestion and improve circulation. Patients should consume one to two capsules daily after meals until their symptoms improve.

5. Triphala

This herb helps ease cough and reduces phlegm. Patients can consume up to 600mg of Triphala three or four times daily to ease the cough.

These herbal remedies are only useful for patients with mild symptoms. If they do not ease symptoms, patients are advised to seek medical help.

Published : July 16, 2022

By : THE NATION