Update Coronavirus in Thailand (3): first death outside of China (2023)

The first coronavirus-related death outside of China was reported Saturday in the Philippines. A 44-year-old man from the Chinese city of Wuhan was one of two people in the Philippines who were infected with the virus. This was reported by the Philippine department of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Thais remaining in Wuhan and other parts of Hubei province will be repatriated on Tuesday. An Air Asia plane will pick them up. About 130 to 140 of the 161 Thai people volunteered to evacuate. Upon arrival in Thailand, they are immediately quarantined.

So far, 19 new corona virus infections have been detected in Thailand. Seven patients have been treated and discharged from the hospital, and twelve remain in the hospital for longer observation. Since the outbreak of the virus, 344 people have been admitted and tested: 39 of them had suspicious symptoms that appeared during airport checks, 305 reported to the hospital on their own. There were 70 people with seasonal flu, they were allowed to go home. The remaining 274 are still under observation in hospitals.

The main consequences for tourism in Thailand

Thailand's tourism industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak. The ban on group travel in China will be in place until the end of next month. But solo travelers also prefer to stay home to avoid contagion.

Governor Yuthasak of the Thailand Tourism Authority says the number of Chinese tourists has plummeted. It expects that number to fall 80% to 2.32 million in the first four months of this year, resulting in a loss of revenue of 98 billion baht. Thanavath Phonvichai, chairman of UTCC, estimates the outbreak is costing the country 132.8 billion baht in lost revenue from tourism and exports.

The number of hotel bookings in Pattaya has plummeted. Travel agencies in China canceled bookings after China announced a ban on group travel.

Current information on the coronavirus in Thailand

• The coronavirus has already claimed 304 lives. This was announced by the Chinese Health Commission on Sunday. On Saturday, February 1, there were 45 new deaths from the new virus, all in Hubei province. Of the 45 deaths, 32 occurred in the capital, Wuhan. The number of confirmed infections in China has risen to 14,380, an increase of more than 2,500 cases. Outside of China, a total of 23 cases of coronavirus have been diagnosed in 132 countries since Saturday.
• The Japanese Ministry of Health confirms that three people evacuated from Wuhan have been infected with the coronavirus. One of the three, a 44-year-old man, tested negative for the virus. In total, 20 people are infected in Japan.
• Fifteen people of Dutch nationality and two Chinese partners left Wuhan by plane at around 14:20 Dutch time. The information comes from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry's goal is for them to arrive in the Netherlands on Sunday evening.
• Qantas Airways will end direct flights from Australia to China on February 9. This lasts until March 29. Cebu Air, the Philippines' largest low-cost airline, will close on Sunday and keep the same closing date.
• Delta Air Lines and American Airlines are the first US airlines to suspend flights to China: Delta February 6 - April 30, AA Saturday - March 27.
• More than 300 buses in Phuket have been parked in parking lots for a week as there are no more tour groups from China. Chinese tourists are staying away from Phuket en masse. One vendor estimates 70% left. The normally busy shopping streets now look deserted.
• The concerts of the popular South Korean band GOT7 at the Rajamangala National Stadium on February 15 and 16 at the Rajamangala National Stadium have been canceled due to concerns over the spread of the coronavirus. Management says they have the safety of both fans and artists on the Keep Spinning World Tour in mind. Fans of K-pop queen Taeyeon are waiting to hear if her February 22-23 concerts will be held at the Thunder Dome Muang Thong Thani.
• In addition to Australia and the US, Israel has also decided to ban foreigners from entering China. Vietnam canceled all flights to China, Italy banned flights from China, Qatar Airways became the first airline in the Middle East to cancel flights to China.

Source: Bangkok Post and Dutch media

Number of reads: 202

1. Gerarda Say

   February 2, 2020 at 12:12

   We are planning a trip to the Netherlands on March 12 and we have a ticket for that date. I am afraid of this virus. because it can spread very quickly. At the moment there are more than 20 people. what readers think about it.

   Quiz Gerarda
   R

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2. jack s Say

   February 2, 2020 at 1:35 pm

   I always find it interesting that casualty and death figures are always reported. According to another report, it's already over 400. If I'm not mistaken, it's about 0.0025% with a population of 1.6 billion, and with the world's population you're talking about 0.00025%… What does that sound like?
   According to the German magazine "Der Farang" from Pattaya, the disease is even a little contagious.
   https://der-farang.com/de/pages/was-ueber-das-corona-virus-bislang-bekannt-ist-1

   Most don't even pass it on to third parties anymore, so the expansion stops on its own. Sars from 15 years ago was much worse.

   The fact that Chinese tourists are lagging behind is not because of the corona virus, but because of the people and how they handled it.

   What panic in recent days, hysteria on various blogs.

   You already have 400 traffic fatalities in Thailand in one week. And that in a population of "only" 66 million.

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• Peter (former Khun) Say

  February 2, 2020 at 14:00

  Viruses (especially viruses that people don't know about) are dangerous because they are unpredictable and cannot be controlled. Comparing traffic fatalities is like comparing apples and oranges. What happens in traffic is predictable and manageable.
  Take the Spanish flu epidemic, for example: between 20 and 100 million deaths.

  Read it:https://www.ad.nl/nieuws/sterftepercentage-hoger-dan-bij-spaanse-griep-dus-zaak-om-uitbraak-snel-te-beteugelen~a2e3e0e0/

  Marion Koopmans, professor of virology at Erasmus MC, explained on this page on Sunday why the new coronavirus is not just the flu. Despite the fact that the death toll is still nothing compared to the usual wave of winter flu. "A virus from the animal world that deviates from what we already know can, in exceptional cases, spread around the world like wildfire."

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• jack s Say

  February 2, 2020 at 16:28

  Yes it's true. When was the Spanish flu? 1918 to 1919? About 100 years ago. What was the medical world like back then? What was hygiene like back then? How healthy were people back then?
  Now you can get help. Better than then. It's definitely good that something needs to be done.
  However, I don't think we will have this condition anymore.
  The downside, however, is that the number of cases in a population of around 7 billion may now be higher than 2 billion then.
  But even a million dead sounds like a lot, but it's still not a percentage of the world's population. One million babies are born every five days.
  There are so many people in the world that any epidemic quickly turns into a pandemic. Every accident is a disaster. And the world's population continues to grow.
  Therefore, I do not consider it right to present such figures as are reported by the press. 10,000 is a lot like a number, but with 7 billion it means nothing.

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• dierick Say

  February 2, 2020 at

  Ehhmm, more than 80,000 planes fly every day. 2 billion passengers a year. Thanks to this, something that is small now will soon become a global problem. Do not forget about the incubation period.

  Yes, medicine has moved on now, but if it gets so big that there are still 3,500 waiting for you (a bit of an exaggeration, but if hospitals can't keep up with demand) then it won't be much use.

  It is good that precautions have been taken and all possible protocols have been brought out of hiding.

  And for the SARS comparison, check out thewuhanvirus.com. Scroll down a bit. Don't be afraid of the graphics..

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• jack s Say

  February 2, 2020 at 23:30

  I just watched another show… no, I don't need to turn down the volume, but…. the virus is fairly stable (no change over the course of a year), transmission should be direct from person to person, and like the SARS virus… you should be standing in front of someone sneezing right in your face.
  More than half of those infected do not even know that they are infected and do not really get sick.
  The only dangerous thing about this disease is that you can get pneumonia. Usually it's caused by bacteria, but because it's a virus, it's harder to fight.
  And good measures were taken, Dutch people who came from Huwan wore masks (to protect OTHERS - the only reason to wear these masks)…

  EINDHOVEN (ANP) - Seventeen people arriving in Eindhoven from China on Sunday evening are wearing face masks. They are healthy but have a small chance of transmitting the corona virus. That's what GGD doctor Ronald ter Schegget said on Sunday. Ter Schegget and his team of five receive evacuees and inform them about the reception in our country.
  After arriving in Eindhoven and checking for complaints, the seventeen adults – fifteen Dutch and two Chinese – end up in a central shelter. Where is not yet known. They must then be quarantined for fourteen days."

  I think: means yes, watch out too…. but panic? NO. Do you think you should wear face masks to avoid getting caught? Funny. Then you need to put on a gas mask.
  I'm glad the Chinese government is now taking action against eating wild animals. This is almost the cause of everything. In my opinion, this is the best solution to prevent future diseases.

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• Nicky Say

  February 3, 2020 at 5:25

  You can get infected in Germany as well as in Thailand. Until negative travel notifications are issued, you will not be able to cancel your trip free of charge. Anyway, I'd just go.
  Everyone has an opinion about face masks, washing your hands is very important

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• Henk Say

  February 3, 2020 at 1:59

  How can you see your flight load factor?

  I have a ticket myself for the beginning of April. But a colleague told me he excitedly booked for Krabi 5 days ago. But 3 days later he rescheduled everything; then to New Zealand.

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• Sr. M Say

  February 3, 2020 at 8:26

  Book eg Feb 4th Until I go to seat selection and see seats that are still free/occupied. Then close.

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• Cornelius Say

  February 3, 2020 at 10:18

  Some airlines only allow you to reserve your seat after payment.

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