Thailand Ministry of Health reports 5,013 new COVID-19 cases and an additional 33 deaths since yesterday. The ministry also announced an additional 5,591 patients recovered from the COVID-19 virus.
According to its deputy minister, Sathit Pitutecha, the Public Health Ministry has issued notifications urging all international airports to increase their screening of arrivals, particularly from 17 countries where monkeypox cases have now been confirmed.
“Each airport has a disease control unit and officials will intensify measures against monkeypox by being more vigilant,” he said.
As Mr. Sathit advised the public to be informed about the situation from the Department of Disease Control, skin illness and sexually transmitted disease clinics will be asked to keep an eye out for monkeypox (DDC).
Travelers from the United Kingdom, Spain, and Portugal are being actively checked for monkeypox, according to Dr. Chakkarat Pitayawonganon, director of the DDC’s epidemiology branch.
Travelers from these nations with apparent symptoms like rashes would be requested to undergo a test, he added, adding that no tests have been done thus far.
Monkeypox has not yet been deemed a serious infectious disease by the ministry, and no domestic cases have been documented. He added that the ministry has not contemplated a vaccine campaign, but that it will meet to examine the danger of infection.
Smallpox vaccines are known to be 85 percent effective against monkeypox, according to Dr. Supakij Sirilak, director-general of the Department of Medical Sciences, and the department is well-equipped to test and approve such vaccines if needed.
Since smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980, there has been no immunization against the disease for over 40 years. Vaccines against the virus have been created, however, due to fears that it could be utilized as a bioweapon.