[george]

Nightclub workers treble Thailand's swine flu tally

BANGKOK: -- The number of confirmed cases of swine flu in Thailand nearly tripled to 46 yesterday, with most of the new infections detected among workers at a nightclub in the seaside resort of Pattaya.

And a Hong Kong visitor has claimed to have contracted the virus on the southern resort island of Phuket. Thai premier Abhisit Vejjajiva has sent Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai Witthaya there to investigate.

"There are new confirmed cases both in Pattaya and Phuket," the prime minister said. "But none of these confirmed cases is in a serious condition."

Health officials reported 30 new cases across the kingdom, including a young British traveler, and said more were expected. But they urged people to remain calm.

Twenty-one of the new infections were found among the Pattaya nightclub workers, who were tested after two Taiwanese tourists claimed to have contracted the disease there upon their return home.

Four other cases were found at the privately run St Gabriel's College in Bangkok. The college has now announced it will close for one week.

The remaining five infected people in Thailand are being kept in quarantine.

Since the virus was first discovered in the United States and Mexico in April, 74 countries have reported more than 27,000 cases, including 141 deaths, according to figures from the World Health Organization.

In Australia, the flu tally has ticked up by 39 to 1,263 cases, with 1,011 in the southern state of Victoria. Authorities in the state said four people were being treated in hospital intensive care wards.

That was a potentially worrying escalation for Australian health chiefs, who have previously reported only mild symptoms among flu victims.

But the flu has spread rapidly in Australia - the world's fifth worst- hit country - since sick passengers were allowed to leave a cruise ship in Sydney late last month.

Victoria has recorded numerous cases of domestic transmission, which occurs when the virus spreads between people within a community rather than the infection being driven by people coming from overseas.

In Germany, 27 children from a Japanese school in Duesseldorf tested positive for flu. The Japanese families affected have been quarantined in their homes and the school closed.

-- Agencies 2009-06-12

WHO raises alert level as flu spreads to 74 countries

After weeks of very public wrestling with its own conscience, the World Health Organization declared the global swine flu outbreak a pandemic on Thursday.

The move indicates that the virus is spreading geographically, but does not mean that the illness, generally described as mild, has become any more severe. As she raised the global alert to level 6, the highest possible level, the agency's chief, Dr. Margaret Chan, immediately emphasized that she expects the early phase of the pandemic to be of "moderate severity." But, she added, "the virus writes the rules," so countries should prepare for mutations that could make it worse and for second waves of illness. And rich countries should help poor ones less able to protect themselves, she said.

"The world is now at the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic," said Dr. Chan, the W.H.O.'s director general. "We are all in this together."


-- The Nation 2009-06-12

[grantbkk]

I think if they service staff in restaurants and bars would break with tradition and wash their hands with soap and water while not coughing and sneezing into the food and drink at least in Thailand we can nip this pandemic in the bud. A two week moratorium in nose picking past the first knuckle will help prevent Thailand from become a flu hub.

[MHM]

"We are all in this together" says Dr Chan. Sensible perspective, let's try and keep it there

[george]

PM: Thailand's A(H1N1) outbreak is limited

BANGKOK: -- Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Friday said the spread of Influenza A (H1N1) in Thailand is still limited to some locations and that the country won’t raise its alert status level because its preventive measures have been carried out systematically and effectively.

Interviewed before travelling to Cambodia Friday morning, Mr. Abhisit said that the spread of the Influenza A (H1N1) in Thailand was limited to a few areas and the government has systematic surveillance in place to closely monitor the new infections.

The locations where the H1N1 virus was recently detected were put under surveillance.

The areas are the two major tourist destinations -- the eastern seaside resort town of Pattaya, the southen resort island of Phuket and St Gabriel's College in the capital. The preventive measures were implemented before the new semester started, so the outbreak area can be limited.

The prime minister said Thailand didn’t have to raise the level of the alert because the country has disclosed the spread of the virus and has a good monitoring system.

Meanwhile, the privately-run St Gabriel's College where five students were found to have contracted the H1N1 flu virus has begun cleaning and disinfecting the school with assistance from workers from the Dusit district office and the Department of Health.

The school announced a one-week closure and will resume classes again on June 19.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) ordered 435 schools under its umbrella to thoroughly clean their schools this weekend.

The BMA will also meet with school administrators, operators of theatres and tutorial centres on Monday to discuss the spread of the H1N1 virus among students.

The number of confirmed cases of swine flu in Thailand nearly tripled to 46 on Thursday, with 21 of the new infections were found among employees at a nightclub in the seaside resort of Pattaya. They were tested after two Taiwanese tourists claimed on returning home to have contracted the disease there.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Influenza A (H1N1) the influenza pandemic Thursday, raising the pandemic alert level to level six after it infected tens of thousands of people in 74 countries.

WHO Director- General Margaret Chan said the declaration of a "moderate" pandemic should not spark panic and did not mean the death toll from A(H1N1) would rise sharply.

The latest WHO report showed that the number of H1N1 infections has reached 28,774 in 74 countries, including 144 deaths.


-- TNA 2009-06-12

[webfact]

What actually will be done (has been done already) to save the world population from extinction. No cure or vaccine available so far?
only talk and calm people down?

This post has been edited by webfact: 2009-06-12 12:50

[jackdanielsesq]

I always wondered what they did with the tailings - in the food I guess?! A little salty protein!!
BR>Jack



A two week moratorium in nose picking past the first knuckle will help prevent Thailand from become a flu hub

[george]

Tutorial school ordered closed as source of flu spread among students

BANGKOK: -- Education Minister Jurin Laksanavisit Friday ordered a tutorial school in Rathevi to be closed after it was suspected that the place where a sixth grader of St Gabriel School had contracted the type A (H1N1) flu virus.

Jurin said the tutorial school would be closed temporarily and education officials would discuss whether other tutorial schools should be closed.

The student later spread the virus to friends at the school, prompting the school to cancel classes for a week.


-- The Nation 2009-06-12

[Heng]

Which nightclub?

[johng]

Heng,
Stardice has been suggested as "the" nightclub.

[sriracha john]

george, on 2009-06-12 12:58:26, said:

Tutorial school ordered closed as source of flu spread among students

BANGKOK: -- Education Minister Jurin Laksanavisit Friday ordered a tutorial school in Rathevi to be closed after it was suspected that the place where a sixth grader of St Gabriel School had contracted the type A (H1N1) flu virus.


-- The Nation 2009-06-12

That unidentified "school" is this one:


Tutor school ordered to close for 7 days due to H1N1 spread

BANGKOK, 12 June 2009 (NNT) – The Kiat Bundit tutor institution has been ordered to temporarily close down for 7 days starting from today onwards as the school is suspicious of spreading the A(H1N1) virus to a student of Saint Gabriel’s College.

The Non-Formal and Informal Education Office (NFE) Director Wimonporn Pantumontree said she had coordinated with the Kiat Bundit tutor institution, located in Ratchathewi district in the capital Bangkok, to shut down temporarily.

The school will be cleaned by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and monitor the health conditions of 80 students who attended the same class with the infected student.

The NFE Director said the tutor institution's cleaning was up to standard and warned any students who had symptoms of flu to take off school and seek medical treatments immediately.



-- NNT 2009-06-12

[Datsun240Z]

Can imagine a virus spreading quick in a place like pattaya.

[EnhancePlus]

I always set the treble to 10

[Heng]

johng, on 2009-06-12 13:18:15, said:

Heng,
Stardice has been suggested as "the" nightclub.

Cool. thanks for the info.

[moe666]

So the Australlians let a bunch of sick people off a cruise ship and allowed it to spred among the population. To bad that didn't happen in Thailand and the bashers could have had some more rocks to throw.

Whats wrong with those Aussies not taking this flu thing serious.

[Ga-gai]

moe666, on 2009-06-12 20:59:54, said:

So the Australlians let a bunch of sick people off a cruise ship and allowed it to spred among the population. To bad that didn't happen in Thailand and the bashers could have had some more rocks to throw.

Whats wrong with those Aussies not taking this flu thing serious.

The Aussies are too macho to bother about viruses. They're even too macho to bother to wear sunscreen at the beach. And upon that... Russel Crow have problem getting visa to the US since he'd been knocking down too many people when he's in a bad mood. Apparently they got "mucho" problems in the land down under!

This post has been edited by Ga-gai: 2009-06-12 21:36

[geriatrickid]

moe666, on 2009-06-12 20:59:54, said:

So the Australlians let a bunch of sick people off a cruise ship and allowed it to spred among the population. To bad that didn't happen in Thailand and the bashers could have had some more rocks to throw.

Whats wrong with those Aussies not taking this flu thing serious.

The auatralian health officials followed protocol and quarantined the ship. Suspected and identified cases were isolated on board. All this went on as the uninfected seethed demanding to be let off to avoid becoming infected. passengers were screened before the vessel was docked. what this tells me is that the virus can sit in someone without manifesting symptoms for for alot longer than people think. But hey, if one reads the other posts on the flu thread, there is nothing to worry about since this is a "mid" virus. Yea, right. I guarantee that within 30 days we'll start seeing a tally closer to 5,000.

[cellbuilder]

grantbkk, on 2009-06-12 09:06:53, said:

I think if they service staff in restaurants and bars would break with tradition and wash their hands with soap and water while not coughing and sneezing into the food and drink at least in Thailand we can nip this pandemic in the bud. A two week moratorium in nose picking past the first knuckle will help prevent Thailand from become a flu hub.

How much effort have you made to pass your message on to those that can affect change? Every restaurant in Thailand should have the message not the insult.

[Jingthing]

Quote

in Thailand we can nip this pandemic in the bud.

It's already out there. Too late.

[kurnell]

Why is nobody dying?

[bangon04]

Datsun240Z, on 2009-06-12 16:17:09, said:

Can imagine a virus spreading quick in a place like pattaya.

Lots of viruses spread quickly in Pattaya

[bangon04]

kurnell, on 2009-06-12 23:26:24, said:

Why is nobody dying?

Don't be too disappointed - there are far more people in Thailand dying from drunk driving and mosquito bites, but a virus imported from foreigners is much more newsworthy....

[Jingthing]

kurnell, on 2009-06-12 22:26:24, said:

Why is nobody dying?

That's easy to answer. . This is the first wave of this new virus and it has only recently entered Thailand. For most people, the symptoms are very mild. There will be a small percentage of fatalities when it spreads more widely. The WHO thinks 1/3 of the world population may get the first wave virus. After that, the virus will mutate into something else, quite possibly more severe with a higher fatality rate.

[BarryM]

I'm so relieved it's only the low class night club workers who have been infected. Not the 1000s of people who crowd these place every weekend, some of whom are Benz owning types who we all know are immune to spreading these nasty foreign and low class viruses.

[Heng]

Not immune, but like wealth distribution, virus distribution is also typically without balance. One need look no further than some gov't hospitals with waiting areas that could compete with many airport and bus stations, typically with hundreds of sick people of all ages in close proximity for several hours at a time.

[animatic]

Jingthing, on 2009-06-12 23:16:27, said:

kurnell, on 2009-06-12 22:26:24, said:

Why is nobody dying?

That's easy to answer. . This is the first wave of this new virus and it has only recently entered Thailand. For most people, the symptoms are very mild. There will be a small percentage of fatalities when it spreads more widely. The WHO thinks 1/3 of the world population may get the first wave virus. After that, the virus will mutate into something else, quite possibly more severe with a higher fatality rate.

Exactly Jing, this is wave one and setting up it's 'base' for future mutations,
that is the real worry: Next Fall in the north
and the southern summer/fall after.

The science is there for this to be a real possibility.
Like 1918 and 1968, this is not fantasy land scenarios.
Just because we dodged the bullet with SARS and Bird flue... so far,
doesn't mean this is not worth worrying about....

In 1918 we had slower transport and slower communications
inspite of slow transport it was devastating.
We have lightning communications now and that is helping,
but also much faster transport vectors, so nipping in the bud is well past expiry.
Our best hope is limiting this wave as best we can with
INFORMATION that makes people more careful.