The Dean of the Faculty of Medical Science at Siriraj Hospital has warned Thailand to prepare for the second outbreak of COVID-19, which he said is a certainty and, when it happens, the number of fatalities is expected to increase exponentially.
Speaking on the Mahidol TV Channel today, Professor Dr. Prasit Wattanapha said that, from his monitoring of the COVID-19 situation worldwide, he is sure that Thailand will face a second wave of infections.
“If there are about 100 new infections in one day, it means the virus has already spread widely. When it spreads, the number of infections will not be doubled, but squared,” he said, adding that several countries are already experiencing second rounds of infections.
Dr. Prasit, who is one of the medical professionals advising the CCSA, said that every time a person goes outdoors, he or she is at risk of being infected or of infecting other people when visiting congested places, because physical distancing is almost impossible, adding that the only way to protect oneself, as lockdown restrictions are lifted, is to wear a face mask at all times while outdoors and to wash hands with sanitizer gel regularly.
Asked when the situation will return to normal in Thailand, the Dean said that it will take 18-24 months for a prophylactic vaccine to become available.
In March this year, Dr. Prasit predicted that COVID-19 infections in Thailand would peak at over 100,000 with hundreds of fatalities by mid-April. To date, however, about 3,000 plus cases have been recorded with a death toll of 57.
