Ministry moves to boost outpatient care for Covid patients

THE PUBLIC Health Ministry said today (Feb. 25) that it is moving to downgrade coronavirus from a pandemic to endemic after which those testing positive via ATK will be treated on outpatient basis with this change to take four months starting March 1, Matichon newspaper said,

Dr. Kiatipoom Wongrachit, the ministry’s permanent secretary, said there are effective treatments now available with people’s immunity having also been boosted.

Once the “See, Give, End” service is in place there will be increased outpatient care with those found to be infected by ATK no longer having to go to the hospital as doctors will dispense medicine according to the symptoms.

The three types of medicines to be given are 1) Favipiravir; 2) Fah talai jone plant which is known informally as the “king of bitters” 3) Other medicines to treat symptoms such as for fever, cough syrup and nasal decongestants.

Earlier this morning the ministry announced that there are 24,932 Covid cases and 41 deaths over the past 24 hours taking the cumulative confirmed total since the start of the pandemic to 2,819,282.

Another 15,774 patients were cured taking total recoveries from the onset of the pandemic to 2,606,363 with 190,110 still undergoing treatment of whom 931 are in severe condition and among them 254 require oxygen.

Today’s 41 fatalities, with the youngest being three months old and the oldest 104, raised the death toll to 22,809.

Bangkok continued to top the 10 worst-hit provinces list with today’s total of 3,285 cases rising from 3,236 yesterday and this is also the highest tally in a week (Feb. 19-Feb 25).

Today’s top-ten worst-hit provinces are as follows: 

1) Bangkok, 3,285 cases;

2) Chonburi, 1,419;

3) Samut Prakan, 1,128;

4) Nakhon Si Thammarat, 911;

5) Nonthaburi, 775;

6) Ratchaburi, 738;

7) Samut Sakhon, 716;

8) Phuket, 684;

9) Nakhon Pathom, 649;

10) Nakhon Ratchasima, 644.

CAPTIONS:

Top: An antigen test kit (ATK). Photo: NNT

Home Page: Bangkok looks beautiful on a sunny day. Photo: Hotel Kaesong (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Also read: National Security Council shuts door on Covid lockdown

Teen girl almost raped at unisex field hospital

Covid hotline expanded as daily tally soars to 21,232 cases, 39 deaths

Cabinet puts brakes on Covid care downgrade

Buriram shuts entertainment venues as Covid tally stays above 18,000

Young South Korean man dies after 2 Covid jabs