WHO praises Thailand for strict MERS-CoV vigilance

BANGKOK, June 23 (TNA) - The United Nations World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed its appreciation to Thailand's strict vigilance against the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), resulting in the country's swift detection of the first patient of the deadly virus. Krisda Chinavicharana, Director-General of the Fiscal Police Office (FPO), told journalists of the information on Tuesday, pointing out that Thai health authorities have also swiftly detected those who had come into close contact with the country's first MERS-CoV patient, a 75-year-old Omani visitor, and have closely monitored them in a 14-day standard quarantine period, set by WHO. Besides, Thai health authorities have strictly separated passengers travelling from the Middle East and South Korea, where there are outbreaks of the fatal virus. The FPO chief said that MERS-CoV appears to remain under control in Thailand, assessing that it should not seriously affect the Thai economy and should not be as severe as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which spread in 2003, because relevant information has been disseminated by concerned agencies swiftly and transparently. The FPO chief acknowledged that other countries have not warned their citizens from travelling to Thailand after the first MERS-CoV patient was reported last week, noting that Thailand's main Suvarnabhumi International Airport welcomed even more international visitors from June 18–21, a 57.8 per cent year-on-year increase, while there have been no cancellations of trip or hotel bookings so far. Meanwhile, Thai Public Health Minister Dr. Rajata Rajatanavin confirmed that the condition of the first MERS-CoV patient, who has been treated at the state-run Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute, has been recovering steadily. Dr. Rajata told reporters that doctors will undertake two more tests on the foreign patient, while tests on his three relatives, who have also been under a 14-day quarantine at the same institute, have shown negative results, meaning they have not contracted the fatal virus. Based on official statistics, released by the Thai Ministry of Public Health, the number of people under close monitoring in Thailand for probably contracting the deadly virus has been declining, from 176 last week. (TNA)