3. The Disease Situation in Thailand
3.1 Surveillance protocol for COVID-2019
From 3-23 January 2020, the Department of Disease Control has been implementing its surveillance protocol by fever screening of travelers from all direct flights from Wuhan, China to the Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Krabi airports. On 24 January, the screening protocol began to be implemented at Chiang Rai Airport. The screening protocol has expanded to cover all arrival and departure flights at Suvarnabhumi airport since 29 January 2020. The accumulated data, until 16 February 2020, showed 928 flights and 81,435 passengers and air crew members from China were screened for the disease. For the screening protocol outside the airports, there were 7,101 people from 326 ships arriving from affected areas that were screened at five sea ports (Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Chiang Saen, Phuket and Samui) from 1 January 1 to 16 February 2020.
The screening implementation at Suvarnabhumi Airport has also been applied among arrival travelers from all countries for both arrival and departure flights. From 29 January to 16 February 2020, an accumulated number of screening people was 1,542,474 and found 12 of those people met a case definition criteria of PUI. There were 73,533 people screened at five seaports. Since February 1, 2020, there were 490,176 people that were screened at 34 ground ports. A total of 33,456 people renewing their passports at the Government Complex Commemorating His Majesty at Chaengwattana Road were also screened from 30 January to 15 February 2020.
Among 138 Thai people traveling back from Wuhan, China since 4 February 2020, there were four PUI and all of them were referred for treatment at Queen Sirikit Naval Hospital.
The laboratory testing of all PUI showed negative results for the virus causing COVID-19. All four PUI were in good health conditions on 16 February 2020. One person got sick during the quarantine period and the laboratory results showed positive results for the virus causing COVID-19 and the patient is being treated at Chonburi Hospital. This patient is still in good health. However, the virus causing COVID-19 was still detected from the laboratory testing on 14 February 2020 and the sample was collected to repeat the laboratory testing on 17 February 2020.
3.2 Situation of patients with suspected symptoms of COVID-19 in Thailand.
On 17 February, 2020 at 18.00, 35 additional people met the criteria for patients under investigation raising the total to 872 PUI as shown in Table 2.
