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The number of Omicron infections detected may be far lower than the reality, an expert virologist said on Saturday.

In a Facebook post, Dr Yong Poovorawan explained that lab tests in most countries assume the presence of the Omicron variant when the S-gene is not detected. The Omicron variant apparently masks the S-gene.

However, in Thailand, the entire genome sequencing is studied not just the presence of the S gene, which is why more Omicron patients have been detected here.

In fact, he said, since many patients are asymptomatic, Thailand probably has more than 3,000 Omicron cases.

This may also be true of nearly every other country, Yong added.

He said the best way of working out an accurate average will be to check Covid-19 samples randomly to work out a percentage of Omicron and Delta infections. He added that he expects Omicron to account for 30 per cent of total infections.

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Published : January 08, 2022

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https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40010801

Those who received two Sinovac or Sinopharm shots have been advised to get a viral vector or mRNA vaccine booster, while a fourth jab could even be necessary.

The advice came after a Siriraj Hospital Faculty of Medicine study.

For example, the average immunity of volunteers who received two Sinovac jabs for two weeks was 230 binding antibody units per millilitre (BAU/mL), but their immunity dropped to just 33 BAU/mL 12 weeks after two jabs, head researcher Assoc Prof Dr Nasikarn Angkasekwinai noted on Wednesday.

The study was conducted between July and December last year on four groups of volunteers who received AstraZeneca, Sinopharm or Pfizer (full dose or half dose) as a booster shot.

She explained that after receiving a booster shot for two weeks, the immunity of volunteers who received two Sinovac jabs changed as follows:

• Pfizer (full dose): 5,152 BAU/mL

• Pfizer (half dose): 3,981 BAU/mL

• AstraZeneca: 1,358 BAU/mL

• Sinopharm: 155 BAU/mL

Meanwhile, the immunity of volunteers who received two AstraZeneca jabs changed as follows:

• AstraZeneca 246 BAU/mL

• Sinopharm129 BAU/mL

• Pfizer (full dose) 2,377 BAU/mL

• Pfizer (half dose) 1,962 BAU/mL

Nasikarn said a fourth Covid-19 vaccine jab would be necessary, especially for people who have received two Sinovac shots and an AstraZeneca jab, as the volunteers’ immunity dropped 5-10 times 4-5 months after receiving a booster.

Siriraj Institute of Clinical Research deputy director Suwimon Niyomnaitham concluded that an inactivated vaccine booster jab does not provide immunity, while three viral vector jabs give low immunity.

Suwimon said half a dose of Pfizer gave high immunity, similar to a full dose.

“Hence, we advise people who have received two Sinovac or Sinopharm jabs to receive a viral vector or mRNA vaccine as a booster shot,” she said.

“Those who have received two AstraZeneca jabs should receive an mRNA booster jab to deal with the virus mutation,” Suwimon advised.

Published : January 06, 2022

By : THE NATION

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The number of Covid-19 Omicron cases will increase drastically because the virus can spread easily, especially during New Year celebrations, expert virologist Dr Yong Poovorawan wrote on his Facebook page on Thursday.

Yong urged everyone to cooperate to reduce the number of cases, which could affect the capacity of the public health system.

However, the number of severe patients and deaths will be lower compared to the Delta variant, the doctor pointed out.

“We must administer booster doses as fast as possible, especially to vulnerable groups,” he wrote.

Patients with mild symptoms must be isolated at home or go into community isolation to reduce the workload on medical personnel, he advised.

Yong cited information from Johns Hopkins University that the death rate would gradually decrease in each successive wave.

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Yong said the death rate of Delta patients in Thailand was only one per cent – less than the average rate worldwide. He hoped the Omicron death rate would be even lower.

He added that Omicron would become a seasonal respiratory illness if the death rate is less than 0.1 per cent.

Published : January 06, 2022

By : THE NATION

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Expert virologist Dr Yong Poovorawan explained on his Facebook page on Wednesday why the Omicron variant would reduce the severity of the disease.

Yong gave five reasons:

1. The number of infections in children have increased. Most infected children had mild or no symptoms. The severity of the disease will increase according to the patient’s age.

2. Most adults including elders had been administered vaccines.

3. The Omicron variant causes less severe symptoms than Delta according to research especially in South Africa.

4. The research also showed Omicron is usually found in the upper airways than in the lungs.

5. According to Charles Darwin’s theory, living things will adapt to survive. The virus will adapt itself but patients will build immunity. The virus will not cause too much damage though it will be able to live on.

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As an example, Yong wrote, several pandemics were severe at first but then became endemic.

Yong said the number of patients has increased to more than a million per day while the death rate has decreased heavily when compared to the past. Most patients were asymptomatic and may not have been tested.

He speculated that the number of patients would be much more than the World Health Organisation reported and the disease would be less severe after people achieved immunity from infection or vaccines.

Yong added that WHO will stop counting the number of patients and only patients with symptoms will be tested because RT-PCR test prices are quite high.

Published : January 05, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40010730

Thailand is facing its biggest wave of Covid-19 in two years as cases surge into the tens of thousands after the holiday break. However, there is no need to panic, says Vichaiyut Hospital respiratory specialist Dr Manoon Leechawengongs.

In a Tuesday Facebook post, Manoon said the Omicron variant is more transmissible with a reduced incubation period. The new virus strain also causes milder symptoms and is more like a normal cold, he added.

It easily infects the upper respiratory tract but rarely leads to dangerous lung infections.

The Omicron surge will likely result in widespread infection of both the vaccinated and unvaccinated, leading to herd immunity that brings the pandemic to end, Manoon said.

Booster jabs may be unnecessary in the future because Omicron infection will work as a live attenuated vaccine that boosts the immunity more effectively than any vaccine, he added.

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Published : January 04, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40010726

Expert virologist Dr Yong Poovorawan has warned that Thailand could lose the race to administer enough booster shots to protect its population from Omicron.

The new variant is more contagious and more resistant to vaccines than previous Covid-19 strains, confirmed Dr Yong in a Facebook post, citing data in the month since the new variant emerged.

Two jabs were not enough to protect against Omicron and a booster was needed to reduce severity of the disease, he added.

However, the good news is that Omicron causes less severe disease than other variants, according to data from South Africa, the UK, and Denmark.

While cases are rising fast, the number of Omicron patients being hospitalised is only one-third that of Delta cases. The number of Omicron fatalities is also significantly fewer than Delta fatalities.

Yong said that the Omicron variant likely affects the upper part of the respiratory system more than the lungs. Tests for Omicron should focus on saliva rather than nasal mucus, he added.

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Yong said the Omicron variant is spreading rapidly in North America and Europe, where mostly mRNA vaccines have been administered.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says Omicron is quickly becoming the dominant variant in countries all around the globe. However, fatalities have dipped sharply compared to virus waves last year.

Yong noted that Omicron’s rapid spread in North America and Europe is coinciding with winter and the annual flu season. However, the new variant is also spreading quickly in summertime Australia. Meanwhile, other southern hemisphere countries including Chile and Indonesia have seen relatively few cases, suggesting that weather is not a significant factor, Yong said.

He warned that Thailand must learn from other countries and apply effective prevention measures, adding that the country might not be able to administer as much vaccine as developed nations.

Published : January 04, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40010681

An mRNA booster after two jabs of inactivated or viral vector Covid-19 vaccines can provide high immunity against the virus, expert virologist Dr Yong Poovorawan said in a Facebook post on Sunday.

Yong was citing a study conducted by Chulalongkorn University’s the Centre of Excellence. He said the survey was conducted on people aged 18 and above who had received two jabs of Sinopharm, Sinovac or AstraZeneca vaccines or a Sinovac-AstraZeneca cocktail and had received a Pfizer or Moderna booster.

“People in the US and Britain were given a half dose of the Moderna vaccine to reduce side-effects such as pain at the jab site, fatigue, headache, nausea, diarrhoea or swollen lymph nodes,” he said, citing the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Yong said antibody tests indicate that all vaccines provide high immunity against Covid-19.

“A half dose of Moderna gives the same immunity as a full dose,” he said.

He said the centre is also gathering data of people who have received either three Pfizer shots or three AstraZeneca shots, adding that it will take some time to gather data of people who have received three Moderna jabs.

“This study will help Thailand to effectively manage the vaccination rollout,” he added.

Related stories:

• Top virologist predicts surge in Omicron infections soon
• Top virologist answers questions about Omicron
• Get your third jab for extra protection, urges virologist

Published : January 02, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40010521

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Dr Teerawat Hemachuta, head of Chulalongkorn University’s Information Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases, declared that nearly everybody will pick up an Omicron infection.

The reasons behind this declaration are:

• The efficacy of vaccines will drop by 40 per cent after three months, even with the most effective ones like Pfizer and Moderna.

• Those who are yet to be vaccinated will be prime candidates for infection.

• Without booster shots, cases can suddenly surge from 10,000 to 100,000 to even 1 million. This will include people who have not been vaccinated or the vulnerable.

• Symptoms will be mild for people who have been vaccinated or have been infected by the novel coronavirus before, except those in vulnerable groups.

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• The best way to administer the vaccine with the least side effects is to deliver a small dose via intradermal injection.

• Fah Talai Jone, Ivermectin, Fluvoxamine and Fluoxetine may be as effective as vaccines to treat people in the first phase of the infection.

Published : December 28, 2021

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40010474

The Omicron Covid-19 variant has arrived in Thailand and is spreading, expert virologist Dr Yong Poovorawan said in a Facebook post on Sunday.

He explained that the biggest concern was travellers testing negative during the incubation period and being allowed in under the Test & Go scheme.

Dr Yong also said it was difficult to pinpoint the origin of Omicron infections in Thailand because many events are being held that may have triggered transmissions.

“The wave of Omicron infections in Thailand is not beyond our expectation because it can be transmitted quickly, even among people who have received two jabs,” he said.

“Hence, people should strictly adhere to measures to contain the spread of the virus.”

He also admitted that he was concerned that people travelling over the New Year break would cause Omicron to spread further.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Friday that 205 Omicron cases have been confirmed in many provinces, including Chiang Mai and Songkhla.

Related stories:

• Top virologist answers questions about Omicron
• Get your third jab for extra protection, urges virologist
• Covid likely to spread quickly as it mutates, take precaution, advises Dr Yong

Published : December 27, 2021

By : THE NATION