Vast Majority of Thailand’s COVID-19 Deaths are Unvaccinated People
The number of new Covid-19 Omicron cases in Thailand is expected to reach 100,000 per day following Songkran, according to Dr. Prasit Watanapa, dean of Siriraj Hospital’s medical school.
Government statistics show that 50-60% of Covid-19 patients who have died in the past 30 days were unvaccinated, while 30% received a second dose within the past three months, and 5–10% received a single vaccination.
Most of the people who died were either not fully vaccinated or were not vaccinated at all, Dr. Prasit told the Bangkok Post.
To be fully vaccinated, a person must receive two doses plus a booster shot. Approximately 85-90% of the dead were elderly and people with underlying health conditions, he said.
The rise in deaths coincides with the authorities’ renewed effort to encourage full vaccination, which began early last month.
Elderly Unvaccinated Against Covid-19
People will be returning home this week for the Songkran holiday, which is expected to result in a surge in cases.
Dr. Prasit estimates that more than 1 million people over 60 years old are unvaccinated.
It is important not to think that you are immune to the virus just by staying at home. The virus can knock at your door during the festival when children and grandchildren come for a visit,” he warned.
Before Covid-19 could be declared an endemic, Dr. Prasit said fatalities had to drop to 1% or less of all infections. The number of deaths should not exceed 20 per 20,000 people infected daily, he said.
XE Omicron COVID-19 numbers low
Currently, the fatality rate is three to four times the acceptable 0.1%, he added, and caseloads could reach 50,000 to 100,000 after the Songkran festival.
To prevent medical capacity from being overburdened, it is essential that the number of fatalities and hospitalizations be kept below 200 a day, he noted.
According to the Center for Medical Genomics at Ramathibodi Hospital, the XE Omicron COVID-19 coronavirus may not be spreading as fast as many initially feared.
According to the CMG, the number of cases only increased from 600 to 736 from January to last month. XE is a recombinant virus derived from two sublineages of the Omicron variant, BA.1 and BA.2.
According to the Public Health Ministry, there is no cause for concern following the discovery of the first case of the XE Omicron Covid-19 in the country, as it is unlikely to result in as many complications as some previous mutations.
According to the head of the CMG, the patient who was diagnosed with the strain has already made a full recovery.
