COVID-19 patients, who have recovered from the disease after completing 14-days of treatment or isolation, may get infected again and, therefore, must be vaccinated, said the director-general of Thailand’s Disease Control Department, Dr. Opart Karnkawinpong, today (Saturday).
He said that recovered patients are not considered “carriers” of the disease, but are rehabilitating, can work as normal and there is no need to be isolated.
He warned, however, that there is a chance that they could get re-infected, which usually happens some 3 months after initial recovery, if they do not follow basic safety measures, such as wearing face masks all the time while outdoors, avoiding close contact with the other people, observing social distancing or regularly washing their hands with soap or sanitizer gel.
Additional safety measures include refraining from sharing drinking vessels, plates, spoons and forks, eating clean and well-cooked food, drinking clean water, having enough sleep and avoiding smoking or narcotics.
Because of the risk of reinfection, Dr. Opart said that it is necessary for recovered patients to be vaccinated.
He suggested that newly-recovered patients monitor their condition and immediately contact the hospitals where they were treated if they develop fatigue, breathing difficulties, a tight chest or lack of appetite, even though these symptoms may be caused by other diseases.
Currently, about 20,000 patients are being discharged from hospitals or other health facilities each day, after recovering from the disease. Since April 1st, 640,130 COVID patients have recovered and been discharged.
