Wuhan Coronavirus Update #3

Previous update HERE: https://michaeldesrosiers.blogspot.com/2020/02/wuhan-virus-update.html

It's been a few weeks, but the news is still ongoing. I figured that it was time to update you all on the Wuhan Coronavirus (COVID-19) and its effects on Thailand.

The virus is still spreading, but slowly. As of today, Thailand has only had 42 cases of the virus, all of whom have recovered fully. Thanks to the government's rapid response as well as the country's incredible healthcare system, Thailand has had zero deaths from the pandemic so far.

However, the country has issued quarantines for people who have recently traveled through China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and a few other heavily affected countries. Citizens and residents who have been to the aforementioned states in the past 14 days are being placed under quarantine, not by the government but by their companies. Schools and businesses are enforcing self-imposed quarantines for all employees who have recently been through several infected countries. It's doing a lot to stop the spread of the Coronavirus.

The other day I was at the shopping mall. As my girlfriend and I were walking through the mall, we saw a small mob descend upon a local pharmacy. The Japanese chain had recently received several boxes of surgical masks, which are currently at a scarcity in Thailand. Fortunately, my girlfriend's sister is a pharmacist, and she has access to resources before they are available to the general public. We still have plenty of masks at home, but due to the crazy crowd, we decided that it might be a good idea to stock up.

crowds at a local pharmacy

The store had a policy requiring each costumer only to purchase a maximum of 10 packages of masks. We each went through the line (buying a combined 20 masks), which took nearly an hour, to buy our masks. After only a quarter of an hour, the many huge boxes were already sold out. They had to close the store after just a short time!

I'm not at all worried about the virus. It doesn't seem very dangerous, especially when compared to the flu or the common cold. What I am worried about, however, is panic. A friend of mine has mentioned the panic and scarcity of resources during the Bangkok floods of 2011 (before my time).

My girlfriend's sister recently began stocking up on non-perishable supplies. She wasn't worried about us being stuck at home, but she was worried that people would panic-buy stuff off the shelves at the supermarket. In advance, she went out and bought rice, canned mackerel, canned veggies, and all sorts of medical supplies. This week, my girlfriend and I also went to the supermarket to stock up on instant oats, frozen veggies, frozen meat, and other essential supplies.

We know that we will all be safe in the event that the virus does spread, however we also want to be safe in the event of scarcity. After all, it's better to be safe than sorry! We won't touch our stocks unless things get bad. If the news settles down, then I guess we already have plenty of good food to eat in the next few months!

Anyways, there's no need to worry. Everything is A-Okay here in Thailand! I'll keep updating if there is any new news.

The good thing is that the Coronavirus seems like it doesn't like the heat or humanity, which is great for Thailand! It just isn't spreading very fast here. It's also a saving grace for India and various countries in Africa, which don't have the resources and incredible healthcare which Thailand have to fight the virus.