More than 13% of people in 40 high-density communities in Bangkok were found to be infected during proactive Covid-19 screening carried out by the Rural Doctors' Society (RDS) and its partners.
According to the RDS, its medical teams and staff from hospitals from various provinces carried out two Covid-19 testing events in Bangkok -- the first during July 14-16 and the latest on July 21-23 targeting crowded urban communities.
Of 51,389 people who were tested, 6,863 were found infected, or 13.35%.
"The infection rate in Bangkok is very high," wrote the RDS.
In the first screening, a total of 1,777 people out of 19,871 tested positive for the virus, or 8.94%. In the second test, 5,086 out of 31,518 people tested positive, or 16.14%.
According to the RDS, Rapid Antigen Test kits were used in the screening and those who tested positive underwent RT-PCR tests to confirm the results. The patients entered the home isolation programme, and several were prescribed anti-viral drug favipiravir while waiting for hospital beds.
It said the RDS plans to conduct a third round of testing and will brainstorm ideas how to slow the virus transmission and pull the city out of the public health crisis.
Meanwhile, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) launched a Covid-19 testing campaign targeting homeless people in which it found 18 out of 193 infected with the virus.
City governor Aswin Kwanmuang said those who tested positive have been put under medical care and the rest sent to the shelter for homeless people in Pathum Thani.
He said the BMA is working with social workers and city police to collect information about this group to provide them with proper assistance.