Keep virus guard up

As the Lunar New Year begins today, there is a fear the spread of a novel coronavirus could accelerate as people shop, eat and travel, especially as there will likely be a larger number of tourists coming here for the holidays from China where the outbreak began. Despite there having been only four confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in Thailand, that number is the largest outside China. Given that the virus can mutate and transmit from human to human, and that the pneumonia-like illness that it causes can be asymptomatic, there is no room for complacency from the government when it comes to responses to the spread of the virus. Instead, the country may need to ramp up its defences against the outbreak.

So far, the virus has killed at least 17 people in China and infected nearly 600. Even though the Chinese city of Wuhan where the outbreak originated has been in lockdown, Thailand still needs to be on high alert. No one knows enough about who else has come into close contact with infected people or who have visited Wuhan.

Since the outbreak was reported late last month, it is commendable the Public Health Ministry has scaled up its monitoring and responses to the situation, with systems to screen and separate infected patients in hospital wards and to follow up on those who have come into contact with them.

It has been in regular contact with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and implemented surveillance protocols by screening travellers on all direct flights from Wuhan to five airports including Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang.

What is worrying is that while the virus causes a pneumonia-like illness, with symptoms including coughing, breathing difficulty and fever, five people who died from the viral infection didn’t show any symptoms of fever.

That means, despite strict thermal screening, there could be undetected infection cases in which infected people display only a mild illness or no symptoms at all. It makes the authorities’ mandatory thermal scans at the airports much more complicated.

The fact the virus can mutate while there is no vaccine to cure it re-emphanises the need for the government to remain vigilant.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul this week assured his ministry is committed to transparency when it comes to information-sharing with the WHO and the public.

At the same time, he conveyed a message from Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha that people must not panic. But we must not put social stability over public health. Thailand is no stranger to “fear of panic” warnings issued by governments in the wake of a disease outbreak.

There were allegations in the past that governments tried to play down the severity of outbreaks or did not disclose actual numbers of infections such as during the handling of the mosquito-borne Zika virus in 2017 and the bird flu outbreak in 2018.

Even the Chinese government, this time, is being praised globally for its transparency in its handling of the coronavirus outbreak, despite scientists at Imperial College in London estimating that 4,000 people have been infected in Wuhan. The number is much higher than the 600 cases confirmed by China.

That means much remains unknown about the outbreak. Thailand must remain on full and high alert regarding its prevention and control measures and its preparedness for emergency responses. No one should take any chances.