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.

By means of biorefinery, biogas production through anaerobic digestion is one of the most common treatments of wastewater in the palm oil industry. After biogas production, the treated palm oil mill effluent (POME) is generally discharged into the environment. However, certain level of hazardous compounds still exists in the treated wastewater, which can lead to the pollution of water bodies. In this study, we have investigated the dynamics of volatile organic acids dwelling in consecutive POME treatment lagoons as well as identified, and categorized, microbial species responsible for the treatment process. Bacteria and methanogens, both hydrogenotrophic and acetoclastic, related to methane production were identified using mcrA and 16S rRNA genes specific primers. Two hydrogenotrophic methanogens, Methanoculleus marisnigri and Methanoculleus chikugoensis, were found abundant in accordance with high formate concentration throughout the process of anaerobic digestion. This study has also isolated eight consortia of microbes that yielded different methane productions by utilizing formate as the substrate in the synthetic medium. The consortia of a group, containing M. marisnigri, M. chikugoensis, uncultured bacteria, Aminobacterium sp., and Ruminobacillus xylanolyticum, produced the highest methane yield of 259 mL/g COD after 25 days of incubation in the laboratory. The findings from this study are contributing to optimize and increase biogas production in POME, which will allow higher efficiency in palm oil mill wastewater treatment.

Background: COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is a global concern. Many individuals are concerned about the potential side-effects of the COVID-19 vaccine and vaccine boosters. The purpose of this study was to assess attitudes and satisfaction concerning COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine boosters in the population in Bangkok, Thailand. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey measuring COVID-19 vaccine attitudes and satisfaction was distributed from September to December 2021. Multiple linear regression was used to explore associations between demographic variables and questionnaire results. Spearman’s correlation analysis was used to examine associations between attitude and satisfaction scores. Results: A total of 780 questionnaire responses were obtained. The largest groups of participants reported having obtained a first vaccination dose via viral vaccine (52.8%), a second vaccination booster via viral vaccine (49.5%), and a third vaccination booster via mRNA vaccine (28.8%). Multiple linear regression revealed a lower association between vaccine attitude scores and having earned less than a bachelor’s degree (β −0.109; 95% CI −2.541, −0.451) and infection risk without self-isolating (β −0.154; 95% CI −4.152, −0.670) compared with attaining a bachelor’s degree or higher and never having being at risk of infection, respectively. Higher vaccine satisfaction scores were more closely associated with being married than being single (β 0.074; 95% CI −0.073, 3.022), whereas lower vaccine satisfaction scores were less closely associated with non-healthcare workers (β −0.143; 95% CI −4.698, −0.831) and infection risk without self-isolating (β −0.132; 95% CI −6.034, −0.502) compared with non-healthcare workers and never being at risk of infection. There was weak but significant positive correlation between attitude and satisfaction scores (r = 0.338, p-value < 0.001). Hence, a gradual decline in protection following vaccination and the positive effects of a booster dose after primary vaccination have made the decision to administer booster doses. Conclusion: The results suggest that policymakers need to develop more effective strategies to raise awareness about the importance of vaccination.