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Due to the current situation of COVID-19 rapid spread, people around the world stay alert and closely monitor as well as seeking effective measures to deal with the virus to prevent and suppress them from continuous spread locally and internationally. Now, the government and the private sector as well as international associate network have become the important intermediaries to publicise the information and news updates about COVID-19, report facts on the number of cases in Thailand and other countries as well as the confirmed cases worldwide.
What is Coronavirus?
For now, we know that Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause respiratory infections. These can range from the common cold to more serious diseases.
COVID-19 is an abbreviation. The name comes from:
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Co- Corona
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Vi- Virus
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D- Disease
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19 – is the year we got the first case reported.
This is a newborn disease caused by a new form of coronavirus. It was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan City in China and it circulate among animals with some of them also known to infect humans.
While the viruses that cause both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza are transmitted from person-to-person and may cause similar symptoms, the two viruses are vastly different and do not behave in the same way.
There is not enough information at this time to determine how easily this virus spreads between people, but it is currently estimated that, on average, one infected person will infect between two and three other people via small respiratory droplets through sneezing, coughing, or when people interact with each other for some time in close proximity. These droplets can then be inhaled, or they can land on surfaces that others may come into contact with, who can then get infected when they touch their nose, mouth or eyes. However, the amount of viable virus declines over time and may not always be present in sufficient numbers to cause infection and the incubation period for COVID-19 is currently estimated to bet between one and 14 days.
We know that the virus can be transmitted when people who are infected show symptoms such as coughing. There is also some evidence suggesting that transmission can occur from a person that is infected even two days before showing symptoms; however, uncertainties remain about the effect of transmission by non-symptomatic persons.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of COVID-19 vary in severity from having no symptoms at all to having fever, cough, sore throat, general weakness and fatigue and muscular pain and in the most severe cases, severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis and septic shock, all potentially leading to death. Reports show that clinical deterioration can occur rapidly, often during the second week of disease.
The infectious period may begin one to two days before symptoms appear, but people are likely most infectious during the symptomatic period, even if symptoms are mild and very non-specific. The infectious period is now estimated to last for 7-12 days in moderate cases and up to two weeks on average in severe cases.
In order to prevent yourself to get the virus, one should wash of hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or cleaning hands thoroughly with alcohol-based solutions, gels or tissues is recommended in all settings. It is also recommended to stay one metre or more away from people infected with COVID-19 who are showing symptoms, to reduce the risk of infection through respiratory droplets.
Is there a treatment for COVID-19?
We really hope there is a cure for COVID-19, but there is no specific treatment or vaccine for this disease.
As this is a new virus, no vaccine is currently available. Although work on a vaccine has already started by several research groups and pharmaceutical companies worldwide, it may be months to more than a year before a vaccine has been tested and is ready for use in humans.
With many news and information, there are doubts if we can trust the data or not, so in order to learn more about the novel Coronavirus we gather various reliable sources as follows:
Government Data
Government has a duty to inform the public about the situations which includes the number of cases, and protocol for control the situations. You can find reliable sources below.
1. Office is the Prime Minister
There is many fake news about the city lock down, curfew protocol or even the compensate money from the government. It is best to make sure that you get news from the government house themselves to ensure you get an accurate information.
Website: http://www.opm.go.th/
Email: N/A
Tel: 0-2283-4000
2. Department of Consular Affair
Being an expat and working in other country away from home can be difficult in general, but with the pandemic that happen can cause more stress especially if your job might not be able to support your working permit or you have some issues with your visa then seeking help at Department of Consular Affair is a must. They can provide the information that is suitable for your situation and give travel advisory needed.
Website: http://www.consular.go.th/main/
Email: N/A
Tel: 0-2572-8442
Healthcare Data
1. Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health
Thai government’s standard website created by Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health complies the most updated information and reports on COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand which, upon the direct order of Ministry of Public Health, reports the daily situation of COVID-19 so that we know the daily progress of the number of confirmed cases, the number of new cases, the number of patients receiving treatment, the number of patients recovered, and the number of deaths. In addition, guidelines of practices and suggestions for the general public, as well as the risk assessment test, are also available online for convenience.
Website: https://ddc.moph.go.th/viralpneumonia/intro.php
Email: N/A
Tel: 1422 Hotline
2. World Health Organisation (WHO)
World Health Organisation remains the international leader in disseminating the information about COVID-19 by compiling data on COVIS-19 spread, daily updates, the number of worldwide confirmed cases, and the number of conformed cases in each country. In addition, it is the main organisation to coordinate the provision of academic advice on how to deal with COVID-19 to ensure that the public receives reliable facts.
Website: https://www.who.int/
Email: N/A
Tel: N/A
3. The Global Health Network – Coronavirus Outbreak Knowledge Hub
The Global Health Network was the centre of information and advice on COVID-19 where all data related to COVID-19 which is the novel disease is collected for dissemination to the public. Also, healthcare information such as basic self-protection, monitoring, and self-assessment of COVID-19 infection is given.
Website: https://coronavirus.tghn.org/
Email: N/A
Tel: N/A
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
It is the source of articles written for the purpose of providing knowledge of COVID-19 such as self-care for kids and elders, self-protection and daily progress of the disease. However, CDC focuses on the updates related to the US and self-care for the Americans who live in different geographical areas with different climates. Therefore, the advice on self-care from this source may not completely apply to Thai people.
Website: https://www.cdc.gov/
Email: N/A
Tel: N/A
5. The Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE), Johns Hopkins University
This website provides extensive information on statistics of COVID-19 cases from around the world with comparative number of conformed cases and the rate of deaths in each country on daily basis, as well as the overall situations with reference to reliable sources such as WHO, ECDC, NHC, and DXY by using the latest statistics reported on that day to make the database for daily report worldwide.
For more information please visit
Website: https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6
Email: N/A
Tel: N/A
Coronavirus or COVID-19 is the novel disease that the world has never encountered. Therefore, self-care and self-protection based on the advice from reliable sources are necessary. People are suggested to provide collaboration to an assist the medical personnel and related parties from all sectors to ensure their good health and prevention from this pandemic.
Stay safe and stay healthy! If you need a health insurance plan that covers COVID-19, fill in the form below and get the quote. 
