An end to the winter COVID wave is expected in February

Thai officials have reported an uptick in new cases of COVID-19, which they describe as part of a “anticipated modest wave.” According to the country’s leading virologist, this outbreak is projected to last at least until February 2023.

Though health officials no longer classify COVID as a potentially fatal communicable disease, the number of newly reported instances of the disease in Thailand has been rising steadily.

Official statistics indicate that there were 3,166 COVID-related hospitalizations during the week of November 6-12, 2017. This equates to an average of 452 new cases per day. The previous week’s total was 2,758, therefore this was an increase.

As of last Sunday, there had been 42 confirmed deaths attributed to COVID, or around six each day.

As COVID becomes endemic and seasonal, a spike in reported cases is to be expected, according to a Facebook post by Dr. Yong Poovorawan, Head of the Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology at the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University.

Thailand has mostly established herd immunity due to immunizations and spontaneous infections, significantly reducing the severity of the illness. Effective medications like Molnupiravir, Paxovirid, and Remdesivir are now widely accessible, as stated by Dr. Yong, expanding the treatment choices available to those in need.

Regardless of brand, Dr. Yong advises that every Thai obtain three doses of anti-COVID immunization. Those who haven’t gotten a booster injection in more than six months may need one now since immunity wanes with time.