Infected Myanmar worker poses no threat of Covid-19 spreading in Thailand: DDC
A Myanmar worker recently found to be positive for Covid-19 in Phatthalung province did not get infected in Thailand, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) said.
He may have been infected from a Malaysian workplace before he fled to Thailand, Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the department, said on Saturday.
Further investigation showed that the Myanmar man, 26, did not have any underlying disease. He had travelled for work to Malaysia in 2018. During the Covid-19 situation, the market was closed. The patient does not have travel documents. Therefore, he wanted to return to Myanmar by travelling through Thailand, across the Mae Sot district border in Tak province.
Opas said on October 26, the patient had travelled alone by bus to Penang state in Malaysia. A broker picked him up to cross the coast to Thailand with eight other travel companions. They slept for one night at Langkawi Island in Malaysia, then at 4am on October 28 they took a boat near the coast at Satun province. After that, he travelled by car to the border of Mae Sot. He was arrested by police at the Pa Bon checkpoint in Phatthalung province.
Dr Opas added that such a patient has a small amount of the coronavirus genetic material, detected by RT-PCR method on October 28, after entering Thailand for just one day, showing he was not infected with Covid-19 in Thailand. The blood test for the immune system found antibodies for the virus.
The patient has been infected for a long time, showing the transmission rate is extremely low. The results of this investigation suggest that the patient may have been infected in Malaysia. Although unable to clearly identify the source of the infection, patients may live in epidemic areas as the market was closed.
Dr Opas said people do not need to panic about this case, but continue their good health practices, such as wearing a mask, keeping clean and social distancing.
