With the number of COVID-19 cases in Thailand rising on a daily basis, many people are worrying about whether they have contracted the virus. While health authorities are encouraging people at risk of catching COVID-19 to get tested, they are also trying to allay fears by providing more information on exactly who is at risk.

Director-General of the Disease Control Department, Dr Opas Karnkawinpong recently said that anybody who has been within close proximity of a confirmed COVID patient should get tested immediately.

People at highest risk are those who live in the same house as the patient and were in close contact when the patient was developing symptoms; medical workers who handle a patient or their specimen while not wearing protective gear; and patients sharing a room with someone who has tested positive.

Also at high risk are people who have met symptomatic COVID-19 patients and may have been exposed to their body fluids, including via coughing or sneezing.

Standing a meter from a confirmed COVID patient without a mask for more than five minutes or sitting a couple of rows from the patient on an aircraft or bus also carries high risk.

He explained that “Being in a badly ventilated room with a patient without a mask for 15 minutes is risky.”

Working or studying in the same room as a confirmed patient is less risky provided everybody wears a mask and is not exposed to bodily fluids.

People who have tested positive for COVID-19 should contact health authorities via hotlines 1330, 1668 or 1669 and have their national ID and test results ready. They must wear a face mask, isolate themselves and avoid leaving home while waiting to be admitted to hospital.