Wuhan arrivals have been screened for elevated body temperature since last Saturday (Jan 4), as fever remains one of the early indicators of infection.
Other signs and symptoms include difficulty in breathing and chest radiographs showing invasive lesions of both lungs, notes the World Health Organization (WHO) in its description of the illness.
However, the causal agent has not yet been identified or confirmed, reports WHO, while health officials in Wuhan said they had ruled out common respiratory diseases, such as influenza, bird flu and adenovirus infection, as the cause.
At least 59 people in Wuhan have been diagnosed with the mysterious infection in the past four weeks. Eleven of those infected were in critical condition and the rest stable, Wuhan health officials said, adding that all had been isolated and doctors were observing 121 people with whom they had been in close contact.
Five people, including a 3-year-old Chinese boy, were quarantined on arrival in Bangkok earlier this week, though initial tests confirmed all five were not infected with the mystery viral pneumonia. The 3-year-old Chinese boy was discharged from quarantine on Tuesday.
Dr Sirilak Thaichareon, director of the regional Disease Prevention and Control office, told The Phuket News on Tuesday (Jan 7) that so far no arrivals from Wuhan had been identified as infected.
However, while he downplayed the potential impact of the illness, he at the same time confirmed that measures to identify infected arrivals had been raised to top level.
“This [form of] pneumonia is less harmful than SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), but we are upgrading the standard for scanning at Phuket International Airport to the same level used for SARS.”
The decision to boost efforts was made at an emergency meeting at Office of Disease Prevention and
Control Region 11 office in Nakhon Sri Thammarat last Sunday (Jan 5), he said. As director of the Office of Disease Prevention and Control Region 11 division, Dr Sirilak is the leading outbreak health official for the provinces of Ranong, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Sri Thammarat, Krabi, Phang Nga and Phuket.
“We have to upgrade the level of checking because this case is urgent and serious, Also, the Chinese New Year holiday [on Jan 25] is coming. With more flights from Wuhan arriving, we will need to check more passengers,” he said.
Chief of the Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO), Thanit Sermkaew, on Monday (Jan 6) confirmed that six officers – three from the PPHO and three from the Phuket Airport Health Control division – were tasked with scanning arrivals on direct flights from Wuhan.
Additional officers have been assigned to support the scan teams at the airport, Chief Thanit said.
“Four extra health officers from Thalang Hospital have been assigned to support the team, and other hospitals are standing by to provide additional support,” he added.
However, at this stage, only passengers on direct flights from Wuhan to Phuket are being scanned for the virus, Chief Thanit also confirmed.
Asked why travellers arriving from areas near Wuhan or on connecting flights were not being scanned, Chief Thanit said, “We are following the order issued, and because the infections so far were found in Wuhan and in people who travelled to Wuhan.
“Officers at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport are also scanning passengers, and we scan them again [when they arrive]. We check thoroughly, there is no need to worry.”
Counter measures
Chief Thanit explained that the first step in preventing the disease from arriving in Phuket is screening arrivals for high body temperature and handing the arrivals leaflets informing them of the new form of pneumonia.
“If we find a passenger with a body temperature higher than 38ºC, we will take them to an isolated room where an officer will record their name, age and gender, and more importantly their recent activities, such as where they have visited in the Wuhan area.
“The officer will quarantine any passengers who have traveled to Wuhan and exhibit any symptoms before handing them over to the disease investigation team, who will examine the person more thoroughly.
“If the symptoms are serious, the person will be taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital, where there is reverse-pressure isolation room where doctors can further examine and treat the patient until the symptoms improve,” he said.
Chief Thanit urged any persons who believe they may have been infected to
contact the PPHO urgently by calling 076-211330.
“This is especially for those who develop any signs or symptoms of a serious cold within 14 days of returning from Wuhan,” he said.
Any persons in Thailand who suspect they may have contracted the virus are urged to immediately call the Department of Disease Control (DDC) hotline 1422.