Coronavirus: Thailand has apparent treatment success with antiviral drug cocktail
- A 71-year-old patient tested negative for the virus 48 hours after doctors administered a combination of antivirals used to treat flu and HIV
- Thailand has detected 19 confirmed cases of the virus so far – the second highest number of cases outside China, after Japan
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The 71-year-old patient tested negative for the virus 48 hours after Thai doctors administered the combination, doctor Kriengsak Attipornwanich during the ministry’s daily press briefing.
“The lab result of positive on the coronavirus turned negative in 48 hours,” Kriengsak said.
“From being exhausted before, she could sit up in bed 12 hours later.”
The doctors combined the anti-flu drug oseltamivir with lopinavir and ritonavir, antivirals used to treat HIV, Kriengsak said, adding the ministry was awaiting research results to prove the findings.
Coronavirus kills 57 more in China, with 2,829 new cases reported
Thailand so far has detected 19 confirmed cases of the virus believed to have originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, which is under lockdown.
That is the second highest number of cases outside China, with Japan recording 20.
So far, eight patients in Thailand have recovered and returned home, while 11 remain in hospital.
In a video released on Sunday, health minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited a patient from Wuhan who had recovered from the coronavirus, chatting with her amicably in Mandarin as she thanked him and the medical staff.
Coronavirus claims first life outside China as Wuhan enforces quarantine
Thai authorities are trying to balance screening of inbound Chinese visitors with the economic needs of its tourist sector, which is heavily reliant on arrivals from the mainland.
Messages of support saying “Our hearts to Wuhan” in English, Chinese and Thai were plastered on a Bangkok mall popular with tourists.
The bulk of confirmed cases have been Chinese visitors to Thailand, but on Thursday the kingdom recorded its first human-to-human transmission when a Thai taxi driver was diagnosed with the disease.
The taxi driver had not travelled to China, but may have had contact with tourists.
Thailand’s government is also battling public criticism that it has been slow to evacuate scores of its citizens from Hubei province, at the centre of the outbreak.
Anutin said evacuation would happen on Tuesday, and the returnees would be quarantined for 14 days.
