The number of Omicron BA.2 sub-variant COVID-19 cases in Thailand has increased to 14 to date. One has died.
Medical Sciences Department Director-General Dr. Supakit Sirilak said today (Wednesday) that the deceased was an 86-year-old woman, living in Hat Yai district of Songkhla. She was bed-ridden and afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease. She had been inoculated with two vaccine doses and contracted COVID-19 from a member of her family.
Her death was not new as she was declared to be the first fatality from the Omicron variant in Thailand. It was later discovered that her infection was of the BA.2 sub-variant of the Omicron.
Dr. Supakit disclosed that the death toll from the Omicron variant now stands at seven in Thailand, representing 0.1% of all COVID-19 infections.
He also said that it is still inconclusive whether the BA.2 sub-variant is more serious than BA.1 and the Medical Sciences Department has sent all the information about Omicron infections in some 7,000 people to the Medical Services Department to follow up.
Like other countries in the world, he said that more Omicron variant cases will emerge next month and the Medical Sciences Department will try to find out how many of them are of the BA.2 sub-variant and whether the cases have increased significantly.
For the time being, however, he said there is no need to be overly concerned, because BA.2 has not shown that it is any more potent than BA.1.
He stressed the importance of getting booster vaccine shots, particularly those in high-risk groups, such as those suffering from chronic diseases.
