BANGKOK: The first case of monkeypox has been verified in Thailand, but the patient, a 27-year-old Nigerian man, proceeded to go missing after being informed of their positive test outcome on Monday (Jul 18).
The case was discovered on the popular holiday resort island Phuket final weekend when the affected person visited a private hospital with symptoms similar to those of monkeypox.
According to health officials, the hospital took the blood sample from the individual and performed swabs for laboratory checks on Saturday. The end result came out positive upon Monday evening.
“On Jul eighteen, at about 6pm, we all knew the result from your first laboratory test at Chulalongkorn University or college. After learning the end result, the hospital called the patient to arrange his exchange for medical treatments but he refused plus switched off his mobile phone, ” Dr Koosak Kookiatkul, head from the Phuket Public Wellness Office, said inside a press conference on Friday.
According to the Phuket health chief, the patient entered Thailand on Oct 21, 2021 and stayed in a condominium in Phuket’s Patong from November. He frequently visited entertainment locations in the province.
After his hospital visit on Jul 16, the patient had been advised to pen at his house.
However , according to Dr Koosak, closed-circuit television video footage showed him leaving behind his accommodation right after being informed of the positive test outcome on Jul eighteen and checking within at a hotel within Patong on the same time.
“On Jul 19, he was still in the premises but didn’t allow staff clean their room. At 9pm, he placed their room key at the reception and left, ” Dr Koosak added.
Wellness officials and local authorities have been tracking the patient in order to provide him with medical treatments and to control the spread of the disease since Monday. They are also conducting active case selecting and contact doing a trace for.