Wuhan Virus Update

My first post about the Coronavirus pandemic: 
https://michaeldesrosiers.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-wuhan-coronavirus-in-thailand-news.html

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Just thought I'd give a short update on the Wuhan Coronavirus and its effects on our lives here in Thailand.

Things are going well, I guess. The virus doesn't spread well in hot and humid environments, which is why it's spreading like crazy in China this winter but is barely contagious in Thailand at all. Fortunately it's both hot and humid here.

an encouraging message from Bangkok's Chinatown

There have still been zero deaths in Thailand. Luckily our medical system here is really good!

Foreigners have been annoyed lately by the Minister of Tourism's insensitive remarks announcing that foreigners (i.e. Westerners) who refuse to wear masks should be deported from Thailand while at the same time extending the visa-free travel to Chinese tourists. Thailand is the only country in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) which is still allowing unchecked Chinese tourism during this time. I mean, I get it. Chinese tourist money is hugely important to the Thai economy. But don't blame us! It's not us who are spreading the virus!

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1852794/health-minister-kick-out-western-tourists-not-wearing-face-masks

The Prime Minister had to take a day off due to a cough! But it was just a cold. Luckily PM General Prayuth is A-ok and back to work as usual!

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2020/01/30/sources-say-prayut-has-fever-a-day-after-touring-airport/

For a few more personal anecdotes, many of my online English students are Chinese. One of my very favorite students, a high school girl who has been reading the Harry Potter series with me over the past year, has had a two-week extension to her Spring Festival holiday. Sounds pretty good, right? Unfortunately for her, she is still being assigned homework during this time! Her classes are now being taught online and she is assigned a huge stack of homework assignments to complete each day. The worst part is, the school year is just being delayed and moved back by two weeks, so it's basically like adding two full weeks to the semester!

Another student of mine, a software engineer from a city not too far from Wuhan, has been quarantined at home. Although neither he nor anyone in his family is ill, they have all been ordered to stay inside. Fortunately for him, he works remotely! During our Skype lesson the other day, he had to excuse himself to take a call. When he returned, he apologized. "Sorry about that. Every day the government calls me to ask me to report my temperature." He also told me that every week the Chinese government has to deliver food and essential supplies to his home as nobody is permitted to leave their house for the next two weeks.

I'm still wearing a mask when I go out, but the virus is really slowing down here. There have still only been 30-something infections in Thailand, all of whom have recovered. While I recognize that the virus is having a devastating effect on China, mostly due to their overwhelmed medical system, things in Thailand are still going pretty well. It's still good to be cautious.

The shopping malls have employed lift operators to press buttons for people in elevators, and every mall and office tower has deployed hand sanitizer stations at each entrance.

We are keeping an eye on things, but it seems that we are going to be perfectly fine here!