THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
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DDC says two virus cases found in Japan might have originated in Thailand

DDC says two virus cases found in Japan might have originated in Thailand

Two men, one Thai and one Japanese, have tested positive in Japan for Covid-19 after returning to that country from Thailand, Department of Disease Control director-general Dr Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai reported yesterday (August 11).

The first case is a 24-year-old Thai construction worker who returned home on July 7 and went back to Japan on August 1, where he was found to be infected, Dr Suwannachai said.

Earlier, the man was tested twice under quarantine in hospital in Thailand and was discharged after both results were negative. His mother, three Thai friends, and 28 low-risk contacts have now been tested and all results are negative.

The second case involves a 47-year-old Japanese, who tested positive at Haneda airport.

The DDC has tracked all the places the man stayed at during his visit to Thailand.

Dr Suwannachai said the DDC is in contact with Japan’s health department to find the root of the infection.

To screen travellers, Japan uses the new CLEIA (Chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay) method, which detects Covid-19 infections from saliva samples. This method has not yet been certified by the World Health Organisation. Thailand meanwhile uses the normal RT PCR method to detect the virus.

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