The Department of Disease Control revealed that the trend of COVID-19 deaths was mostly in the 608 group, especially the elderly. It is recommended to strictly maintain personal measures. The Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, reports the weekly COVID-19 situation. There are still reports of patients and deaths continuously and the trend is increasing, but it is still not beyond the capacity of the medical treatment system. They are concerned about the 608 risk group, especially the elderly who are seriously ill and at risk of complications. They recommend that everyone strictly follow the COVID-19 prevention measures. If you need to go to a crowded or crowded area, you should wear a mask at all times and wash your hands frequently. If you feel sick, see a doctor immediately. Dr. Thongchai Keeratihatthayakorn, Director-General of the Department of Disease Control, revealed that the overall COVID-19 situation has found 31,205 patients being treated in hospital since the beginning of t he year, with 172 deaths. Between 23-29 June 2024, there were 3,256 patients being treated in hospital, an average of 465 patients per day, 709 patients with pneumonia, 336 patients with ventilators, and 16 deaths. Most of the deceased were aged 60 years and over. Therefore, we would like to emphasize that the risk group 608, including the elderly and those with underlying diseases, strictly follow the COVID-19 prevention measures when entering risk areas and avoid close contact with COVID-19 patients by adhering to the DMH principle: D = Distancing, M = Mask Wearing, wear a mask to reduce the spread of droplets, and H = Hand Washing, wash your hands frequently with soap and water or alcohol gel because there is a chance that we may unknowingly touch our faces with our hands to reduce the risk of catching the virus and spreading it to others. If you suspect that you are sick, you should get tested for the virus using ATK. If the results show that you are infected, you should see a doctor immediately to receiv e proper and appropriate treatment. You should also avoid being in close contact with the 608 risk group. If necessary, you should wear a mask to prevent the spread of infection. Dr. Apichart Vachiraphan, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Disease Control, added that from the continuous monitoring of COVID-19 in Thailand, it was found that the outbreak is seasonal, similar to the flu, or related to periods of large group activities, such as the opening of schools, camps, and military training. It is expected that the number of weekly COVID-19 cases will continue to increase and should peak in July. The current overall mortality rate of this disease is 0.04 percent, which is much lower than the mortality rate during the Delta strain outbreak, which had a mortality rate as high as 2.16 percent (June 2021 data). This reflects that the severity of COVID-19 has decreased due to population-level immunity, along with strains that are not severely spreading. In addition, the mortality rate specifically amo ng hospitalized patients is 0.7 percent, which is 3 times lower than in 2023, reflecting that the current burden of the disease has not caused any problems in the healthcare system. Hospitals nationwide still have the potential to provide good care to patients. Thailand is now in the rainy season, which is the season of the epidemic of respiratory diseases such as COVID-19 and influenza. Therefore, it is recommended that people with fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat should get tested for the virus using ATK. If the results are positive, they should wear a mask to prevent the spread of the virus, isolate themselves from others, and see a doctor immediately, especially in the 608 group, because if this group is infected, they may have severe symptoms and die. Source: Thai News Agency