Thailand’s leading virologist Dr. Yong Pooworavan has admitted that it will be a challenge to get 60% of the Thai population, about 40 million people, vaccinated against COVID-19 next year because at least 80 million doses would be required.
He predicted, however, that the COVID-19 situation in Thailand will ease next year, although it will remain in the country for up to 2 years, after which the contagion will transform into a seasonal infection, like the flu.
He recommended Thai people adapt to the new normal by wearing face mask in public for, at least, another year, observe social distancing and cleanse their hands regularly with sanitizer.
Dr. Yong disclosed that Thai doctors have used plasma,extracted from a patient who recovered from COVID-19, to treat a Swiss patient in state quarantine who developed pneumonia and was on a respirator, adding that, after about ten days of treatment, his condition has improved.
He said that the Thai Red Cross Society has extracted about 600 bottles of serum from plasma, donated by people who have recovered from the contagion, and the serum will be used to treat severe COVID-19 cases.
Meanwhile, the CCSA today recorded four new COVID-19 cases in Thailand.
They include three Thai nationals, a 41-year old man returning from Mozambique, a 32-year old woman returning from the Philippines and a 55-year old woman returning from Russia. The fourth case is an Indian man arriving from India.
Cumulative infections in Thailand, to date, are 3,926. Eight new recoveries were recorded today, bringing the total to 3,780.
