Omicron now in every province in Thailand: Health agency
The highly transmissible Omicron variant has now been detected in all 77 provinces of Thailand, the Medical Sciences Department announced Friday.
Department chief Supakit Sirilak said the 10 provinces with most Omicron cases are Bangkok (4,178 cases), Chonburi (837 cases), Phuket (434 cases), Roi Et (355 cases), Samut Prakan (329 cases), Surat Thani (319 cases), Kalasin (301 cases), Udon Thani (217 cases), Chiang Mai (214 cases) and Khon Kaen (214 cases).
Supakit said 97-98 per cent of new Covid-19 cases in Thailand were now Omicron infections but that figure is expected to be 100 per cent by the end of this month.
However, most Covid-19 fatalities are still being caused by the Delta strain, he added.
Supakit also shared results from random DNA samples of new Covid-19 cases taken between January 11 and 17. The samples show the proportion of omicron infections found in seven different groups, as follows:
– Samples from general population reflecting Thailand’s overall situation: 83.7 per cent
- Samples from new clusters (at least 50 infections per cluster): 84.86 per cent
- Samples from cases with severe symptoms or who died: 67.21 per cent
- Samples from fully vaccinated cases: 72.35 per cent
- Samples from infected medical personnel: 74.58 per cent
- Samples from group suspected of being infected by new variants: 75.90%
- Samples from group who have recovered from Covid-19: 100%.
Meanwhile, Omicron was responsible for 96.9 per cent of cases arriving from abroad and 100 per cent of locally re-infected cases.
Supakit urged people to get a booster shot as soon as possible to reduce the risk of being re-infected by the new variant.
