Can Thailand escape a second wave of COVID-19?
Many factors could trigger a fresh surge of infections nationwide, according to Prof Dr Thiravat Hemachudha, director of the Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Disease Health Science Centre.
“First and foremost, Thais have become convinced that the country is completely free from COVID-19 cases and are now lowering their guard. By not wearing a face mask, frequently washing hands and maintaining social distancing, they have built risks,” the medical expert pointed out.
Thailand has not seen a local transmission of the virus for about 80 days, according to data from the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration.
However, Thiravat warned it was impossible for Thailand to be completely free of local COVID-19 cases just six months after the virus began spreading across the world and when many countries are still experiencing high infection rates. It may appear that coronavirus has been eradicated from the country, but only because infected people are asymptomatic, he said.
