The impact of COVID-19 and control measures on public health in Thailand, 2020

Ritthideach Yorsaeng; Nungruthai Suntronwong; Ilada Thongpan; Watchaporn Chuchaona; Fajar Budi Lestari; Siripat Pasittungkul; Jiratchaya Puenpa; Kamolthip Atsawawaranunt; Chollasap Sharma; Natthinee Sudhinaraset; Anek Mungaomklang; Rungrueng Kitphati; Nasamon Wanlapakorn; Yong Poovorawan

doi:10.7717/peerj.12960

The impact of COVID-19 and control measures on public health in Thailand, 2020

PeerJ. 2022 Feb 16:10:e12960. doi: 10.7717/peerj.12960. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Ritthideach Yorsaeng¹, Nungruthai Suntronwong¹, Ilada Thongpan¹, Watchaporn Chuchaona¹, Fajar Budi Lestari¹, Siripat Pasittungkul¹, Jiratchaya Puenpa¹, Kamolthip Atsawawaranunt^{2

3}, Chollasap Sharma^{3

4}, Natthinee Sudhinaraset¹, Anek Mungaomklang², Rungrueng Kitphati⁵, Nasamon Wanlapakorn¹, Yong Poovorawan¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology, Pathumwan, Thailand.
² Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Institute for Urban Disease Control and Prevention, Bangkok, Thailand.
³ Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Institute of Preventive Medicine, Nonthaburi, Thailand.
⁴ Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Division of International Disease Control Port, Nonthaburi, Thailand.
⁵ Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand.

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 virus has been an emerging disease causing global outbreaks for over a year. In Thailand, transmission may be controlled by strict measures that could positively and negatively impact physical health and suicidal behavior.

Methods: The incidence of COVID-19 was retrieved from the Department of Disease Control (DDC). The impact of viral diseases was retrieved from the open-source of the DDC and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital. The road accidents data were from the Thai Ministry of Transport. The suicidal behavior data were obtained from the Department of Mental Health. We compared data from the year 2019 with the pandemic COVID-19 outbreak period in 2020, before lockdown, during lockdown, easing, and new wave period using unpaired t-test and least-squares linear regression. We compared the impact of the outbreak on various data records in 2020 with corresponding non-outbreak from 2019.

Results: There was a significant decline in cases of influenza (p < 0.001) and norovirus (p = 0.01). However, there was no significant difference in RSV cases (p = 0.17). There was a dramatic increase in attempt to suicides and suicides (p < 0.001). There was no impact on roadside accidents and outpatient department visits.

Discussion: The extensive intervention measures during lockdown during the first wave positively impacted total cases for each period for acute respiratory and gastrointestinal tract diseases, car accidents, and injuries and negatively impacted indicators of suicidal behavior. The data support government policies that would be effective against the next outbreak by promoting the "new normal" lifestyle.

Keywords: COVID-19; Impact; Mental health; Public health; Road accident; Suicidal behavior; Viral disease.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / epidemiology
Communicable Disease Control
Humans
Public Health
Suicide*
Thailand / epidemiology

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the MK Restaurant Company Limited for Ritthideach Yorsaeng, the Ratchadaphiseksomphot Endowment Fund for a Postdoctoral Fellowship for Jiratchaya Puenpa and the Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology of Chulalongkorn University/King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital grant number GCE 59-009-30-005. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.