20 September 2024

Thailand today recorded seven new COVID-19 cases among Thai returnees in state quarantine.

The new infections include three men, aged 28, 38 and 46, who arrived from the United Arab Emirates, one from Hong Kong, two from Singapore and one from Egypt. All are asymptomatic cases.

Cumulative infections in Thailand, to date, are 3,389, with 3,218 recoveries and 58 deaths. 113 others are still being treated in hospital.

Meanwhile, Dr. Yong Poovorawan, a well-known virologist attached to Chulalongkorn University, mentioned in his Facebook post today the possibility of someone, who has completed 14-days of mandatory quarantine, still testing positive for COVID-19, but he noted that the chance is quite slim.

Nonetheless, he said, in practice, doctors advise those who have completed their quarantine to confine themselves at home for a further 14 days, to ensure that they are completely clear of the virus.

From studies of 212 cases, he said that traces of the virus can still be found 4-12 weeks after infection in 6.6% of people completing their quarantine period.