Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Sep 02, 2026 54 minutes ago
Thailand’s Department of Disease Control (DDC) has warned that COVID-19 infections are continuing to rise as seasonal respiratory illnesses gain momentum during the country’s rainy season. However, health officials stressed that currently circulating variants have not been associated with increased disease severity.
Thailand’s health authorities are monitoring rising COVID-19 infections while emphasizing that currently circulating variants
have not shown increased disease severity.
According to surveillance figures covering January 1 through August 31, 2026, Thailand recorded 99,691 COVID-19 cases and 15 deaths, producing a case fatality rate of just 0.02%. Officials said infections were detected across all age groups while influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were also increasing.
Young Children Show Particularly High Infection Rates
Although cases have occurred across the population, young children have emerged as an important affected group. Infants younger than one year recorded the highest incidence, at 686.33 cases per 100,000 people, followed by children aged one to four. Adults aged 30–39 and 20–29 were the next most affected age groups.
DDC officials suggested household transmission could partly explain the high infection rates among babies. Parents, guardians, or older siblings may acquire COVID-19 outside the home while experiencing mild symptoms and subsequently transmit the virus to infants.
Fourteen of the 15 COVID-19 deaths reported during 2026 occurred among people older than 60. Fatalities also involved patients with underlying conditions including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, chronic kidney failure, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer.
Bangkok Leads Provincial Infection Rates
Bangkok recorded the country’s highest COVID-19 incidence, at 643.65 cases per 100,000 people, followed by Chonburi at 530.52 and Phuket at 514.85. Other provinces reporting relatively high rates included Lamphun, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Rayong, Saraburi, Chiang Mai, and Ang Thong.
Thailand has also recorded 20 COVID-19 clusters during 2026, including one in June, seven in July, and 12 in August. Eight prison outbreaks accounted for 761 cases, while five clusters in educational institutions involved 400 cases. Additional clusters occurred in hospitals, residential centers for older adults, workplaces, and a military camp.
NB.1.8.1 Remains Dominant Variant
Genomic surveillance shows that Omicron subvariant NB.1.8.1 remains Thailand’s predominant circulating strain. Approximately half of samples analyzed between July 21 and August 21 were identified as NB.1.8.1.
The lineage has been detected consistently since 2025, but officials said there is currently no evidence that it produces more severe disease. JN.1 and BA.3.2 were among the other frequently detected lineages.
Thailand has additionally identified one case of PQ.16.1.1, a descendant of NB.1.8.1 that has been classified by the World Health Organization as a variant under monitoring.
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This Thailand Medical News report notes that DDC officials emphasized that the emergence of new subvariants should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of greater disease severity.
Symptoms Increasingly Resemble Common Respiratory Illnesses
Current COVID-19 symptoms predominantly involve the upper respiratory tract and include fever, coughing, sore throat, runny nose, headache, body aches, and fatigue. Loss of smell and taste, once strongly associated with COVID-19, has become less common.
Officials said the incubation period is generally around two to three days. Severe pneumonia and short-term complications such as respiratory failure and pulmonary blood clots are also being reported less frequently, while long COVID and complications persisting beyond three months have declined considerably.
People experiencing symptoms are advised to rest, monitor their condition, avoid close contact with others, and wear masks when around other people or in crowded environments. Anyone developing breathing difficulties, shortness of breath, chest tightness, lethargy, or worsening symptoms should seek medical attention promptly.
High-Risk Groups Still Require Protection
The DDC stressed that Group 608 remains particularly vulnerable. This group includes adults aged 60 and older, pregnant women from 12 weeks of gestation, and people with seven specified chronic disease categories.
Officials recommend that vulnerable individuals receive recommended vaccinations and avoid crowded or poorly ventilated environments. Basic distancing, mask wearing, and frequent handwashing remain important measures for reducing respiratory infection risks.
Influenza and RSV are simultaneously increasing. Thailand recorded 333,032 influenza cases and 48 deaths through August 31, while 7,020 RSV infections were reported, predominantly among young children. Of the RSV patients, 2,762, or 39.34%, required hospitalization, although no deaths were recorded.
The latest surveillance therefore presents a nuanced picture: COVID-19 transmission is rising alongside other seasonal respiratory infections, but available evidence does not indicate that circulating variants are causing more severe disease. The DDC is urging the public to remain vigilant without panicking, protect vulnerable family members, rest when ill, minimize close contact during symptomatic periods, and seek medical care promptly when warning signs of severe illness appear.
Reference:
https://ddc.moph.go.th/brc/news.php?news=59964&deptcode=brc&news_views=424
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