Sukhum Kanchanapimai, permanent secretary for health, said the woman was a maid and was initially diagnosed with pneumonia of unknown cause. Later, doctors learned she had a relative who returned from China. She was now being treated at Rajavithi Hospital.
The male patient was admitted to the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute in Nonthaburi province. He had been in close contact with Chinese tourists and initially showed up with a fever and cough.
Health officials were checking if other people close to them were also infected.
“We found more confirmed cases because the Public Health Ministry improved its surveillance on Feb 18, increasing the number of countries, visitors and provinces under close watch,” Dr Sukhum said.
This expanded surveillance now covered visitors from China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan and people in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chon Buri, Krabi, Phuket, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Samut Prakan provinces.
For good news, he said, another patient with novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) had fully recovered and was discharged in the southern province of Krabi.
The patient was a woman Chinese tourist, 32, who arrived in Thailand before the closure of Wuhan airport.
He said confirmed cases in Thailand now numbered 37, of whom 22 (60%) had fully recovered and were discharged, while the 15 others remained at hospitals. Twelve of the 37 were Thais.
Patients under investigation numbered 1,580. Of these 1,160 had seasonal influenza, recovered and were discharged and were being monitored. The other 420 patients remained at hospitals.
Globally, COVID-19 cases stood at 80,115, including 2,7004 deaths. Of these, 77,660 cases were in China, including 2,664 deaths, the Public Health Ministry reported.