Thailand's health authorities confident in MERS-CoV control

BANGKOK, June 22 (TNA) - The Ministry of Public Health has expressed its confidence that it can control the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), after conditions of the country's first MERS-CoV patient have been steadily recovering. The ministry's authorities, including its Deputy Permanent Secretary Dr. Wachira Pengjuntr, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Disease Control Dr. Opart Karnkawinpong and a disease control specialist, Dr. Supamit Chunsutthiwathana, expressed the confidence at a joint press conference in Bangkok on Monday, confirming that Thailand has been able to control MERS-CoV at a certain extent and the task has a positive outlook. According to the authorities, the 75-year-old Omani MERS-CoV patient has been recovering, as his lung infection has been decreasing and he can now eat by himself and breathe normally. The authorities said the Omani patient will undergo two more tests and if they, again, show negative results, the Omani man will be confirmed as recovering from the disease. The authorities revealed that his three relatives have also been recovering, acknowledging although no MERS-CoV was found in their bodies, they must be kept throughout the 14-day-long standard quarantine, which ends on July 2. Dr. Opart noted that the number of people coming into contact with the Middle East patient has dropped to 163, while the Ministry of Public Health, private hospitals and the Ministry of Defence will arrange for facilities to treat more patients because studies show that one patient can contact as many as 50 other people. Dr. Opart admitted that nine more people have been monitored for possible MERS-CoV infections and the total number of such the suspects has risen to 53 so far, with their past tests showing negative results. Dr. Supamit assessed that the recovery of the first MERS-CoV patient in Thailand might encourage more foreigners to seek treatment in the country, urging private hospitals to, therefore, have their agencies ensure that their visiting clients are free of MERS-CoV, or they could not enter Thailand. There are about 1.4 million foreigners seeking medical treatments in Thailand annually. Meanwhile, Kamol Rodklai, Secretary-General of Thailand's Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), has ordered all schools under his office's supervision to provide knowledge on MERS-CoV to both teachers and students who are also asked to closely monitor the situation and provide tip-offs about MERS-CoV suspects by calling a hospital or the official 1669 hotline immediately. The OBEC chief stressed that his office is ready to immediately issue orders in response to the Ministry of Public Health's guidances, including a temporary closure of schools, if needed. Dr. Sophon Mekthon, Director-General of the Ministry of Public Health's Department of Disease Control, asked all Thais to refrain from traveling to countries affected by the deadly virus, including those in the Middle East and South Korea. (TNA)