First Thai woman infected with coronavirus

BANGKOK (Bernama): Thailand has detected four cases of Wuhan coronavirus including one Thai woman, health authorities said on Wednesday (Jan 22).

The 73-year-old Thai woman, who had travelled to Wuhan, had developed a fever after returning to Thailand. She is the first patient in the country diagnosed with the coronavirus.

Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, said all four patients (three Chinese and one Thai) travelled to Wuhan and came down with fever and respiratory symptoms.

"The local Thai patient has received treatment at a hospital at Nakhon Pathom, about 60km from Bangkok. Her condition is improving,” he told reporters here on Wednesday.

On Jan 12, Thailand reported its first confirmed coronavirus where a 61-year-old woman from the Chinese city of Wuhan was detected with febrile illness by thermal surveillance at Suvarnabhumi Airport upon her arrival.

Anutin said two Chinese patients have been discharged from hospital and returned home while a third patient would fly home once lab test results confirm he is infection-free.

"There have not been any cases of human-to-human transmission in Thailand,” he said.

At present, nine people have died from coronavirus in China with 440 confirmed cases reported.

Thailand has stepped up on monitoring and surveillance at its airports with direct flights from Wuhan following the Lunar New Year holidays this week where thousands of Chinese tourists are expected to travel to Thailand.

From January 3 to 20, 18,383 passengers and aircrew members from 116 flights were screened for respiratory symptoms and febrile illness.

World Health Organisation (WHO) said the Department of Disease Control of Thailand's Ministry of Public Health has scaled up the Emergency Operations Centre to Level 2 to closely monitor the ongoing situation both at the national and international levels.

"Risk communication guidance has been shared with the public and a hotline has been established by the Department of Disease Control of Thailand for people returning from the affected area in China with related symptoms,” said WHO in its Novel Coronavirus daily report.- Bernama