Bangkok: The government reiterates that no more severe variants of COVID-19 have been found and urges the public to maintain hygiene and not panic. Today, Ms. Lalida Periswiwatana, Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, revealed that the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul, is closely monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak and coordinating with the Ministry of Public Health and related agencies to continuously care for the health of the public.
According to Thai News Agency, the deputy spokesperson stated that the Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, reported that the main circulating COVID-19 variant in Thailand is currently the NB.1.8.1 variant, which branched off from the JN.1 variant. However, there is no evidence yet that this variant causes more severe symptoms or leads to an unusually rapid spread of the virus.
Furthermore, surveillance data from Thailand indicates that although the number of infections tends to increase seasonally, no large-scale outbreaks have been detected, and most patients have mild symptoms. The public health system is still adequately capable of handling the situation.
Ms. Lalida stated that the government urges the public to closely follow information from government agencies and not to panic over rumors or inaccurate information. She reiterated the importance of maintaining personal hygiene, especially for the 608 high-risk groups, which include the elderly, those with underlying health conditions, and pregnant women.
As for self-protection guidelines, the Ministry of Public Health recommends that people wash their hands frequently, wear face masks in crowded areas, avoid close contact with people who have respiratory symptoms, and if they experience fever, cough, sore throat, or fatigue, they should get an ATK test and rest to prevent spreading the infection to others.
'The government confirms that there is currently no indication that the circulating variant is becoming more severe. People can continue their lives and activities as normal, just be asked to take care of their health and follow public health guidelines properly,' the deputy spokesperson said.