If you don’t work from home, you must get vaccinated: Medical Dept chief

He said the Public Health Ministry had recommended that people work from home rather than at the office as they would be at risk of contracting Covid-19 during travel and contact with colleagues.

However, he said, office workers should be aware that Covid-19 vaccines can reduce the risk of developing severe symptoms, not entirely preventing infection.

“Young office workers are not afraid of Omicron as it causes mild symptoms, but they should be aware that they could spread the virus to family members who have a higher risk of contracting Covid-19 than them,” he warned.

“Also, they would not be able to work due to post-Covid symptoms after being infected.”

Increasing Covid-19 cases are causing a burden on the public health system, Somsak said, adding that it would trigger mutations which may obstruct daily life.

As there are no drugs or vaccines yet that can prevent people from getting infected, he advised people to adhere to DMHTT principles:

Distancing: keeping at least a metre of distance from others.

Mask wearing: wearing medical or fabric type face masks or both, with the fabric type on the outside.

Hand washing: washing one’s hands regularly with alcohol spray or gel before and after touching objects.

Testing: checking body temperature and taking a Covid-19 test.

Thai Chana: checking in and out using this application.

Meanwhile, Nopparat Rajathanee Hospital director Dr Kriangkrai Namthaisong said office workers must always wear face masks while performing their duties, work in shifts to reduce congestion, arrange seats to maintain social distancing and take Covid-19 tests using an antigen test kit (ATK) frequently.

“Anyone who has symptoms should work at home to prevent infecting others,” he added.

Separately, the Public Health Ministry also advised office workers to adhere to the VUCA guideline – vaccines, universal prevention, Covid-Free Setting and ATK tests.