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New Waves of COVID-19 in Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar

Received: 15 January 2021     Accepted: 26 April 2021     Published: 8 May 2021
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Abstract

The UK COVID-19-variant-B.1.1.7 was identified in individuals from China and India who entered Cambodia in February 2021 and the first case of Cambodia was reported on February 15, 2021. Since February 2021, the UK COVID-19-variant-B.1.1.7 had spread throughout Cambodia, particularly in Phnom Penh. The objectives of this study are to identify the causes of a spike in COVID-19 cases, track of COVID-19 surges, preparing for a spike or new wave or third wave of COVID-19, how herd immunity to COVID-19 work in the communities, SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) variants, and control measures in Thailand and related countries. A comprehensive search was carried out in mainstream bibliographic databases or Medical Subject Headings, including Scien Direct, PubMed, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science. The search was applied to the articles that were published between 2019 and early April 2021. With strict literature search and screening processes, it yielded 29 articles from 340 articles of initial literature database. On April 5, 2021, there was an increase of 250 SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)-infected cases related to nightlife establishments in Bangkok, contributing to shutting of the entertainment venues in 3 districts of the capital for at least 2 weeks. A private hospital in Bangkok conducted the drive-through COVID-19-infection screening since April 1, 2021 and revealed that approximately 9% of those tested were infected. The most of the infected individuals those tested at this private hospital had visited the same entertainment venues as the above group. Nightlife venues give noise level that people have to stand close to each other and shout to be heard. Additionally, revelers tend to move from one party to another, potentially spreading the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Thailand might have been carried into the country from Cambodia, either by migrant workers or Thais crossing the border. When a locally-manufactured AstraZeneca vaccine becomes available, Thailand plans to begin its mass immunization campaign in June 2021. The Thai army was setting up field hospitals with approximately, 3,000 beds in 10 army bases, braced for a possible surge in new COVID-19 patient. In conclusion, due to weak health systems in Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, and Timor Leste, listed as vulnerable by the United Nations (UN), the COVID-19-variant new outbreak in Cambodia and Myanmar can easily spread this contagiously infectious disease to the ASEAN countries. Calls to form an ASEAN Center for Disease Prevention and Control are urgently needed.

Published in American Journal of Internal Medicine (Volume 9, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajim.20210903.12
Page(s) 114-120
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Third Wave, New Wave, Thailand

References
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Attapon Cheepsattayakorn, Ruangrong Cheepsattayakorn, Porntep Siriwanarangsun. (2021). New Waves of COVID-19 in Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar. American Journal of Internal Medicine, 9(3), 114-120. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajim.20210903.12

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    ACS Style

    Attapon Cheepsattayakorn; Ruangrong Cheepsattayakorn; Porntep Siriwanarangsun. New Waves of COVID-19 in Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar. Am. J. Intern. Med. 2021, 9(3), 114-120. doi: 10.11648/j.ajim.20210903.12

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    AMA Style

    Attapon Cheepsattayakorn, Ruangrong Cheepsattayakorn, Porntep Siriwanarangsun. New Waves of COVID-19 in Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar. Am J Intern Med. 2021;9(3):114-120. doi: 10.11648/j.ajim.20210903.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajim.20210903.12,
      author = {Attapon Cheepsattayakorn and Ruangrong Cheepsattayakorn and Porntep Siriwanarangsun},
      title = {New Waves of COVID-19 in Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar},
      journal = {American Journal of Internal Medicine},
      volume = {9},
      number = {3},
      pages = {114-120},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajim.20210903.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajim.20210903.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajim.20210903.12},
      abstract = {The UK COVID-19-variant-B.1.1.7 was identified in individuals from China and India who entered Cambodia in February 2021 and the first case of Cambodia was reported on February 15, 2021. Since February 2021, the UK COVID-19-variant-B.1.1.7 had spread throughout Cambodia, particularly in Phnom Penh. The objectives of this study are to identify the causes of a spike in COVID-19 cases, track of COVID-19 surges, preparing for a spike or new wave or third wave of COVID-19, how herd immunity to COVID-19 work in the communities, SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) variants, and control measures in Thailand and related countries. A comprehensive search was carried out in mainstream bibliographic databases or Medical Subject Headings, including Scien Direct, PubMed, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science. The search was applied to the articles that were published between 2019 and early April 2021. With strict literature search and screening processes, it yielded 29 articles from 340 articles of initial literature database. On April 5, 2021, there was an increase of 250 SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)-infected cases related to nightlife establishments in Bangkok, contributing to shutting of the entertainment venues in 3 districts of the capital for at least 2 weeks. A private hospital in Bangkok conducted the drive-through COVID-19-infection screening since April 1, 2021 and revealed that approximately 9% of those tested were infected. The most of the infected individuals those tested at this private hospital had visited the same entertainment venues as the above group. Nightlife venues give noise level that people have to stand close to each other and shout to be heard. Additionally, revelers tend to move from one party to another, potentially spreading the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Thailand might have been carried into the country from Cambodia, either by migrant workers or Thais crossing the border. When a locally-manufactured AstraZeneca vaccine becomes available, Thailand plans to begin its mass immunization campaign in June 2021. The Thai army was setting up field hospitals with approximately, 3,000 beds in 10 army bases, braced for a possible surge in new COVID-19 patient. In conclusion, due to weak health systems in Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, and Timor Leste, listed as vulnerable by the United Nations (UN), the COVID-19-variant new outbreak in Cambodia and Myanmar can easily spread this contagiously infectious disease to the ASEAN countries. Calls to form an ASEAN Center for Disease Prevention and Control are urgently needed.},
     year = {2021}
    }
    

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    AU  - Ruangrong Cheepsattayakorn
    AU  - Porntep Siriwanarangsun
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    AB  - The UK COVID-19-variant-B.1.1.7 was identified in individuals from China and India who entered Cambodia in February 2021 and the first case of Cambodia was reported on February 15, 2021. Since February 2021, the UK COVID-19-variant-B.1.1.7 had spread throughout Cambodia, particularly in Phnom Penh. The objectives of this study are to identify the causes of a spike in COVID-19 cases, track of COVID-19 surges, preparing for a spike or new wave or third wave of COVID-19, how herd immunity to COVID-19 work in the communities, SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) variants, and control measures in Thailand and related countries. A comprehensive search was carried out in mainstream bibliographic databases or Medical Subject Headings, including Scien Direct, PubMed, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science. The search was applied to the articles that were published between 2019 and early April 2021. With strict literature search and screening processes, it yielded 29 articles from 340 articles of initial literature database. On April 5, 2021, there was an increase of 250 SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)-infected cases related to nightlife establishments in Bangkok, contributing to shutting of the entertainment venues in 3 districts of the capital for at least 2 weeks. A private hospital in Bangkok conducted the drive-through COVID-19-infection screening since April 1, 2021 and revealed that approximately 9% of those tested were infected. The most of the infected individuals those tested at this private hospital had visited the same entertainment venues as the above group. Nightlife venues give noise level that people have to stand close to each other and shout to be heard. Additionally, revelers tend to move from one party to another, potentially spreading the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Thailand might have been carried into the country from Cambodia, either by migrant workers or Thais crossing the border. When a locally-manufactured AstraZeneca vaccine becomes available, Thailand plans to begin its mass immunization campaign in June 2021. The Thai army was setting up field hospitals with approximately, 3,000 beds in 10 army bases, braced for a possible surge in new COVID-19 patient. In conclusion, due to weak health systems in Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, and Timor Leste, listed as vulnerable by the United Nations (UN), the COVID-19-variant new outbreak in Cambodia and Myanmar can easily spread this contagiously infectious disease to the ASEAN countries. Calls to form an ASEAN Center for Disease Prevention and Control are urgently needed.
    VL  - 9
    IS  - 3
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Western University, Pathum Thani, Thailand

  • Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand

  • Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Western University, Pathum Thani, Thailand

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