COVID-19 patients in Thailand, who are asymptomatic or have only mild symptoms, will be able to access medical services at Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) clinics, in addition to home and community isolation facilities, from March 1st, according to Public Health Permanent Secretary Dr.Kiattibhoom Vongrachit today (Saturday).
He said that out-patient medical services at ARI clinics are an alternative for people infected with COVID-19 in case they can’t access home or community isolation facilities after testing positive for the virus.
At the ARI clinics, he said that patients will have access to COVID-19 tests, examinations, medications and advice from doctors about how to take care of themselves while they are quarantined at home.
Details about the ARI medical services, as well as guidelines for access, will be discussed with the Thailand’s Royal colleges of Paediatricians, Physicians and Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said Dr. Kiattibhoom.
He maintained that about 90% of the new infections are by theOmicron variant and most of the infected exhibit either no or just mild symptoms, so there is no need for them to be treated in general hospitals and the ARI clinics should be able to cope with them.
The ARI clinics are part of preparatory measures to cope with the transition of COVID-19 from a pandemic to endemic, he said.
