For more than 3 years, the world has been faced with a catastrophic virus, COVID-19. Since the disease emerged in the People’s Republic of China in late 2019 and the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Then our world was never the same again.
This deadly virus has caused more than 6.66 million deaths worldwide for the past 3 years (as of December 28, 2022). More than 662 million people have been infected worldwide. The economy ceased to halt, business establishments had to change their work, reduce the size of the organization, lay off workers because the business could not continue. Many sectors have used technology to keep the business moving forward.
while the scientific and medical circles The crisis has been used as an opportunity to develop an mRNA vaccine against COVID-19. new kind of world including viral vector types and dead bacteria It was developed and implemented quickly. including cooperation to help patients affected person as well as collaborating on innovative ideas and medical equipment To prevent and treat COVID-19
Thailand itself has been affected by COVID-19. Severely since 2020, the government announced it as Dangerous communicable diseases The COVID-19 Emergency Situation Management Center (CCSA) has been established to continuously put in place measures for prevention, control and treatment of the disease. There is a vaccine to prevent COVID-19. both types of infectious agents Viral vector and mRNA to inject to Thai people of all age groups. Until now, it can be injected from children aged 6 months and over, with the cumulative total of vaccination in Thailand until the end of 2022 at 144 million doses.
while the severity of the disease gradually decreased When the virus continues to mutate from alpha, beta, delta strains until the latest, the strain with the highest proportion of outbreaks worldwide in the year 2022 is the Omicron strain. which has mutated into more than 540 subspecies and has more than 61 subspecies crossbreeds with the ability to spread faster better dodge immunity But about violence that will cause more severe symptoms or death Still no different from the original Omicron strain. The 5 subspecies of Omikron that the World Health Organization specifically monitors are the subspecies BA.2.75, which is the main strain that is spreading in Thailand in late 2022, BA.5, BQ.1, XBB and BA.2.30.2
And when the situation around the world improves, the COVID-19 disease decreases in severity. People can travel back and forth to contact each other. The economy began to recover, from October 1, 2022, Thailand announced that COVID-19 From dangerous communicable diseases to contagious diseases that must be monitored Various measures have been relaxed so that Thai people can return to their normal lives. but a normal life in a new way by learning to live with COVID-19 knowingly self defense Wear a mask when in a community or a place where the air is closed and not ventilated. Everyone knows how to take care of their health more. If you feel unwell, have fever, cough, sore throat, then test your ATK if it’s positive. will receive treatment according to the right Get medicine and come home for treatment for 5 days, then still have to protect yourself. Isolate yourself from other people for another 5 days.
However, medical scholars It is expected that Direction of the outbreak of COVID-19 It’s not different from other respiratory diseases such as influenza, which are seasonal epidemics. Starting from the winter period from Nov. to Jan. and gradually decreases, then the epidemic will come again when the rainy season arrives. climb And then it gradually decreases and there is a campaign to prevent vaccination expected to be injected once a year like the influenza vaccine. Or there may be a vaccine developed that prevents both influenza and COVID-19 in a single dose.
That’s the situation of COVID-19. which is an emerging disease that we have only known about it for 3 years
But during the year 2022, there are still other diseases that continue to spread according to the season. or epidemic in a specific area While all parties focus on COVID-19 In some areas, it was found that there was a recurrence of old diseases or epidemics. that is endemic But due to the rapid movement of people who can contact each other around the world, it was found that an endemic disease from one continent appeared and spread in another continent, that is, smallpox monkeys, which is endemic in Africa. But the outbreak appeared in Europe and America until the World Health Organization had to declare an outbreak of smallpox monkeys. It is an international public health emergency. which Thailand itself is inevitable We have found 12 smallpox patients, both foreign tourists who traveled from the endemic area. and Thai people traveling from epidemic areas
As for other diseases, the disease occurs from time to time. But it caused panic in many countries, such as Lewi virus disease in China, tomato flu virus disease. in india Mysterious pneumonia in Argentina Or recently found an outbreak of Ebola disease in many countries in Africa.
for Thailand itself It is expected that Our endemic diseases will spread more, such as fever, joint pain, mosquitoes. Dengue fever that began to find more outbreaks as well and the result of accelerated vaccination against COVID-19 in populations of all age groups, resulting in a decrease in vaccination among children, such as measles, diphtheria, whooping cough, while the World Health Organization has issued a warning to all countries that reduction in measles vaccination which is an easily spreadable respiratory disease It will become a threat that can happen in every region. This disease will cause fever, conjunctivitis, cough, red rash all over the body. And in young children, there may be pneumonia complications that can lead to death.
In addition, the National Communicable Disease Committee are closely monitoring the polio epidemic situation and preparing to deal with it Because the epidemic has been found in more than 22 countries, although Thailand has not found polio patients for more than 25 years.
From the history of the world, we can find that Humanity will have to contend with epidemics from time to time. Since the Spanish flu That killed many people, smallpox, which diseases will not go away and will keep coming back. not one day Especially viruses in vertebrates that are ready to jump into the human body. because we get closer and closer to the wild animals The obvious example is the assumption that This COVID-19 comes from bats, and so far there is no evidence that bats are the culprit. But what we know for sure is Bats are a breeding ground for disease. of corona virus (Coronavirus, CoV), both are important intermediates for cross-species transmission. The SARS virus we are known to have raised awareness before was the SARS virus, which has been found to originate from crown bats. That may spread directly to humans or have intermediaries, namely weasel and Mers viruses, which have been reported to have been found in camels. and bats until it came to COVID-19 with a bat as the main defendant There is also the virus that causes Ebola disease. Nipah virus and many others But we still find smuggling, importing and exporting dried bats to eat according to the beliefs of some groups. Including those who unconsciously show off eating bats in hopes of gaining likes on social media. It is something that must be very careful and should not be followed.
But even though today we still can’t predict whether in the future there will be new pathogens again or not. But there is still something to be happy about. that at present our medical technology has progress more and more Both detection The production of vaccines against diseases and medicines is also effective with rapid results. in order to keep up with the disease
COVID-19 should be a big book course. that teaches important lessons to humanity in learning to live consciously with the disease and knowingly Protect yourself from disturbing nature.
The most important thing is “wake up” but don’t “wake up” to be ready to deal with emerging diseases. that we don’t know And not careless in dealing with recurring diseases who are waiting for time to attack humanity.
public health news team