People should usher in the New Year free of concern about a severe new wave of the Covid-19 pandemic as the public is by now largely immune to the virus and life is slowly returning to usual, according to a virus expert.
The current rise in caseloads in Thailand and other countries is par for the course as countries reopen, winter takes root in Europe, Covid-prevention measures are relaxed and people reunite for the holidays, said Dr Thiravat Hemachudha, chief of the Thai Red Cross's Emerging Infectious Diseases Health Science Centre.
Moreover, the rise and spread of sub-variants of the Omicron strain should not be cause for alarm. "The Omicron sub-variants are not causing as severe symptoms as before," he said.
He said most people who attended the Fifa World Cup two weeks ago in Qatar, as well as those who joined a recent World Health Organization meeting in Paris, did not wear face masks -- with the majority of the latter having received two vaccine shots and a booster.
Vaccine risks
Dr Thiravat said some scientists in the US, as well as certain medical research journals in Germany, have warned of the side effects that vaccines developed using mRNA technology could have on the heart muscle in some recipients.
He said it was normal to see hospitalisations climb given the latest surge of infections, with cases expected to keep rising as people reunite with friends and families during the holidays.
"The caseloads now may be increasing but not at the same scale as when the pandemic was at its peak," he said.
The symptoms will be less severe as the virus becomes more easily transmissible in the future, he said, adding the naturally-built immunity from past infections and/or vaccines greatly reduce the likelihood of hospitalisations and casualties.
Thailand, he said, should invest in researching both mRNA-technology and inactivated vaccines, as well as vaccines produced from plant-based protein or protein derived from insects.
Many people now feel torn between receiving more boosters or making do with what they already have to avoid any possible side effects, as the virus is now less likely to trigger critical symptoms in the vast majority of those it infects.
"I think we can finally celebrate the New Year with peace of mind," he said.
Dr Thiravat Hemachudha, chief of the Thai Red Cross's Emerging Infectious Diseases Health Science Centre. (Photo: Chulalongkorn University)
Adapting to the virus
Chamnan Srisawasdi, chairman of the Tourism Council of Thailand, said more people will adapt to living with Covid-19.
In many countries, those who come down with the virus, or even the common cold realise, they should wear face masks to help stop the disease from spreading.
A recent meeting of tourism businesses in the Northeast agreed that tourism and hospitality service providers should ensure their staff practice rudimentary but vital safety measures, such as donning masks and frequently washing their hands.
"We are on the supply side of the business, and health and safety should start with us taking good care of ourselves first and being cautious," he said.
Industry workers' routine interactions with tourists exposes them to a higher risk of contracting the virus, he added.
Mr Chamnan said more people have decided to eschew additional boosters, based on the logic that the virus is less harmful now.
Many have already contracted Covid-19 and been told they have built up a natural immunity to the virus, coupled with the vaccines they have received.
One of the requirements for staff working in Safety and Health Administration (SHA) Plus-certified hotels is that they must have been fully-vaccinated and obtained a booster.
Also, hotels have been working closely with local public health offices to mitigate the likelihood of any emergencies.
In some countries, the rules have been relaxed to such an extent that anyone who is confirmed to have been infected with Covid-19 is still permitted to board a plane, provided they are double-masked.
The easing of pandemic restrictions was a prelude to the current rebound in tourism, Mr Chamnan said. In this respect, the government already exceeded its target in early December by welcoming the 10-millionth visitor of the year to the kingdom.
He said inbound tourism will continue to bounce back, helped by visitors escaping the cold winter in many countries, the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and high energy prices.
Jab delusion
The new surge in Covid-19 infections, meanwhile, has made more people question the efficacy of vaccines and whether they are worth the risk.
Others who have been driven to the brink of economic hardship by more than two years of the pandemic are slowly finding their feet again.
Santipat Wannathan, a 54-year-old food vendor, said he had to take time off from working his food stall after he fell ill with Covid-19. He followed the public health office's advice on how to care for himself but finally managed to cure himself using green chiretta (fah talai jone), a traditional herb.
It was a struggle coping during the pandemic, he said, adding he had been fully vaccinated with two booster jabs. "I thought I was protected. But I still caught it," he said.
The designation of Covid-19 as an endemic disease in Thailand has also come at a cost. Mr Santipat said he now has to buy alcohol to disinfect his stall and give to his customers. Previously, health authorities would supply him with it free of charge, he said.
Wanjanya Namnaree, 38, has returned to work as a motorcycle taxi driver in Bangkok after the country reopened its borders and lifted Covid-19 restrictions several months ago.
She said health rules such as social distancing were impractical. "My customers can't help but sit right behind me," she said, adding she could not imagine life if another major outbreak were to occur and she could not earn a living.
Bundit Yorkham, 79, a street vendor, said she had laboured under the misapprehension that being fully vaccinated would give her full protection against the virus. She has since caught Covid-19 four times.
However one benefit of the virus is that it has forced her to embrace new technology via her mobile phone. She said she now gets sore eyes from relying on it so much.
It was not until recently that she began to understand more of its functions, and now appreciates its value as a resource.
After learning the vaccine could not prevent infection, she began brewing cups of ginger tea with fah talai jone to help her grapple with the virus.
