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. 2021 Oct 8:2021:5807056.
doi: 10.1155/2021/5807056. eCollection 2021.

Comparison of Different Waves during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Retrospective Descriptive Study in Thailand

Jadsada Kunno  1 , Busaba Supawattanabodee  1 , Chavanant Sumanasrethakul  2 , Budsaba Wiriyasivaj  3 , Sathit Kuratong  4 , Chuthamat Kaewchandee  1
Affiliations

Comparison of Different Waves during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Retrospective Descriptive Study in Thailand

Jadsada Kunno et al. Adv Prev Med. .

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. An outbreak is called an epidemic when there is a sudden increase in cases. Many countries have experienced a two-wave pattern in the reported cases of COVID-19. The spread of COVID-19 in Thailand was a cluster event distributed over multiple locations. This study aims to compare the characteristics of different waves during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted from January 2020 to May 2021 (17 months) to determine the number of COVID-19 screenings and confirmed cases and deaths as well as sociodemographic characteristics such as gender, age, nationality, and source population at risk factors. The categorical data were compared using a chi-square test.

Results: Three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic occurred within 17 months in Thailand, and the number of cases increased by over 100,000 due to source population at risk factors such as close contact with a previously confirmed patient, community risk, cluster communities, and active and community surveillance. The chi-square test revealed significant differences between the three waves (p < 0.01).

Conclusion: Significant differences between pandemic phases or waves may be due to weak social distancing policies and the lack of public health interventions. A COVID-19 vaccination plan is needed for people at risk of suffering severe symptoms and the general population in outbreak areas to increase immunity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Derivation of the study population.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Summary for different waves during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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