Gazett tte
ePTS
STUDENT’s MAGAZINE
COVID-19
STAY HOME - STAY SAFE
VOL.15 SPECIAL EDITION APRIL 2020 (SOCIAL DISTANCING)
www.epts.satitpatumwan.ac.th
STUDENT'S MAGAZINE \
Message from EPTS Manager
This Special edition won’t be happened if not Ajarn Tanapa’s invitation to our EPTS students to spend
their time wisely at this moment by sharing the articles about the COVID-19. Moreover those articles have
been edited by the help of our foreign teachers.
Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide which has impacted to numerous people
around the global, we have to put our focus on ways of living which have been changed a lot during this hard
time. While the infection of the virus is spreading continuously, not only we have to take good care of our
health and our own families but also others as well.
Lastly, I would like to express my appreciation to all the help and support by our foreign teachers and class
teachers to students throughout the academic year 2019. With the unpredictable end of this situation, I wish
all colleagues, students and their families stay healthy and strong. Please remember to stay home, eat hot food,
wear masks and do the physical distancing for the sake of you all and the nation.
Yupin Puthapipat
The Manager of the English Program for Talented Students
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2
++ WHEN AND HOW TO USE MASKS ++
3
++ THE NATURE OF THE VIRUS ++
5
++ PERILOUS PATHOGENS : COMPARING COVID - 19 AND THE SPANISH FLU ++
9
++ CORONA ON THE MIND ++
11
++ SPENDING TIME DURING THE LOCK DOWN ++
13
++ WINNING THE COVID-19 WAR ++
19
++ APPLICATIONS TO UPGRADE YOUR QUARANTINE ++
21
++ HOW COVID-19 AFFECTS THE SOCIETY SUPPORT THROUGH HARD TIMES ++
25
++ GOVERNMENT APPROACH TO COVID - 19 THROUGH HARD TIMES ++
33
++ CORONA & CLASSES: HOW COVID-19 AFFECTS EDUCATION ++
GAZETTE CREW SPECIAL THANKS TO
ASST. PROFESSOR CHAISAK LEELAJARASKUL
WRITER ASST. PROFESSOR DUANGCHAI CHONGTHANAKORN
NAMES ARE ON THE COLUMNS AJARN YUPIN PUTTHAPIPAT
COVER & BACK COVER PROOFREADING THANKS TO
CHONNANAD SATHAKURAI (#5 - FUKOุ1/353) MR. ANDREW STANFORD
MR. BRIAN MARC SPIEGEL
GRAPHIC DESIGN MR. JAMES DAVID SAYER
AJARN TANAPA ROTKOET MR. JASON NEIL SORE
MR. JASON PING ZHANG
ONLINE EDITION DR. KEVIN MARTIN FORTUNE
KORANIT TANGSRIPAIROJE (#1 JUDD 5/350) MS. KIMBERLY ANN UNGER
MR. KYLE DREHER
MR. ROBERT BRADLEY BURCH
ADVISOR
AJARN TANAPA ROTKOET
1 WWW.EPTS.SATITPATUMWAN.AC.TH
\ EPTS GAZETTE
WHEN AND HOW
TO USE MASKS
CORONAVIRUS DISEASE (COVID-19)
ADVICE FOR THE PUBLIC BY W.H.O
_______. (2011). [digital image]. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: When and how to use
masks. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/
when-and-how-to-use-masks Web. 10 April
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STUDENT'S MAGAZINE \
THE NATURE
OF THE VIRUS
PREEYAKORN BANGMO (#10 - BEAUTY 5/340)
KORANIT TANGSRIPAIROJE (#1 - JUDD 5/350)
Annoyance, loathing, hatred, every bitterness one could put into
words during the quarantine is directed toward the COVID-19 pan-
demic. What are viruses? How dare they stop our jovial vacation?
Why do such horrible things exist? We have had too much time on
our hands lately, so we decided to research and reflect on these ques-
tions.
Mother Nature is known to balance things out when things get out
of hand. When there are too many predators, prey have to reproduce
more to outnumber their nemesis. When there are too many prey,
carnivores and omnivores see this as a great buffet, and the cycle con-
tinues. The underlying mechanism of nature keeps things balanced,
and one of nature’s methods is by using viruses.
A virus is the smallest microbe, a protein envelope called a capsid
that contains DNA or RNA. Different types come in assorted shapes
unique to the specific type. For example, the Ebola virus is in a string
structure; the Coronavirus is a sphere with stubbles all around it, as
the name corona, meaning “crown” in Latin. Viruses penetrate into
other living organisms’ cells by using the cell’s mechanism to replicate
the genetic code. After the process is completed, the army of viruses
leaves the cell by budding (moving against the cell membrane to use it as an envelope which eventually leads to the death
of the cell), or lysis (bursting out).
Albeit the simplicity of viruses, they are deadly, living only to produce more of themselves, and infectious to other organ-
isms around the host. The ways viruses can spread are via direct, indirect contact, food, air, water, and waste materials.
Moreover, nature provides viruses with a talent, which is mutation (changes in DNA or RNA). Virus mutation happens
when accidents are made while copying genetic materials of the virus.
Repeated mutations in genes that are responsible for virus-surface proteins can cause viruses to infect the host again,
although the body had fought them before. Imagine a criminal mastermind that every police can recognize. If he changes
clothes, the police can still acknowledge him. However, if he also has plastic surgery, the police may not recall and he can
commit crimes again. Until the police remember him again, the cycle will repeat itself.
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Despite this knowledge, COVID-19 has caused a lot of anxiety for many peo-
ple, especially those who have recently come back from abroad. Luckily, there
is light in the darkness. COVID-19 rarely becomes aggressive after a mutation.
Although COVID-19 is an RNA virus that mutates more than the DNA virus,
it develops slowly, it is vulnerable and not far from the original. Besides, even
when some from the mutation survive, they are not dangerous or fatal, which
will hopefully allow scientists time to find a vaccine to prevent more infections
and deaths.
Understanding the mechanism of viruses does not make us loathe them less.
However, we can use this knowledge to rationalize the situation so we can roll
more peacefully with the situation at hand, and to keep our sanity and hopes
intact until the end of the quarantine.
_______. (2011). [digital image]. The current WHO phase of pandemic alert for Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 is
post-pandemic.Retrieved from https://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/phase/en/ Web. 10 April
ILLUSTRATED BY PREEYAKORN BANGMO (#10 - BEAUTY 5/340)
REFERENCE
https://www.history.com/topics/middle-ages/black-death
https://www.nature.com/scitable/definition/virus-308/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK143061/
https://www.prachachat.net/general/news-427442
https://microbiologysociety.org/why-microbiology-matters/what-is-microbiology/viruses.html
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-biology2/chapter/history-of-viruses/
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/biology-of-viruses/virus-biology/a/evolution-of-viruses
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK8439/
https://www.insider.com/how-do-viruses-spread
https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/how-the-virus-that-causes-covid-19-differs-from-other-coronaviruses/
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/biology-of-viruses/virus-biology/a/evolution-of-viruses
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK8439/
https://www.verywellhealth.com/ebola-mutating-1958965
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/pdf/mutations.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjKhLDOg9noAhWe6XM-
BHUxrCCwQFjAAegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw0F6kKqfoRdGJaLN-Th_iq1
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/what-to-know-about-mutation-and-covid-19
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STUDENT'S MAGAZINE \
PERILOUS PATHOGENS
: COMPARING COVID - 19 AND THE SPANISH FLU
NAPAT KIATPROONGWECH (#11 - DEAN 2/351)
---------.(2018 ,29 Jun). The Spanish flu pandemic gripped the world [digital image]. Retrieved from https://www.stokesentinel.
co.uk/news/history/spanish-flu-killed-over-300-1730945. Web. 13 April 2020
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---------.(2020 ,16 Mar).Patients crowd an emergency hospital near Fort Riley, Kan., in 1918. The Spanish flu pandemic killed at least 20
million people worldwide.(Associated Press)[digital image]. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-03-16/
los-angeles-spanish-flu-coronavirus. Web. 13 April 2020
In December of 2019, a novel pathogen started to spread among the citizens of Wuhan, China.
As of March 30, 2020, the disease has killed over 35,000 people worldwide. No one is safe from
this ruthless epidemic. As the death toll rises, will the COVID-19 virus become so powerful that
we will not be able to suppress it? Will it become so contagious that every single person will
end up being infected? Will it destroy humanity, either by killing us directly or driving us back
in time to our instinctual, cruel roots of stealing and murdering to live? Will there be wars?
Will there be turmoil?
These are questions that nobody at the moment can really answer, but everyone keeps asking
these questions. The answers are, frankly, very apocalyptic, and even worse, the scenarios that
each of them represents can become reality. Of course, we should be concerned about our-
selves and humanity, but should we panic? This is not the first time that humanity has to go
through a global pandemic. The Black Death, smallpox epidemics, and many other pandemics
came and went, and yet we made it through all of them without going extinct. This leads to
another, perhaps more important, question. Will this coronavirus pandemic be worse than
other pandemics humanity has experienced? One of the easiest ways to address this question
is comparing this pandemic to the last. Therefore, let us go back one hundred years to 1918, to
the last days of World War I.
In March of 1918, a group of soldiers at Camp Funston, Kansas, were reported to be ill with flu.
The United States needed men to fight in Europe, causing military camps to become over-
crowded. Funston was not an exception. Initially, the epidemic was thought to be a usual out-
break of seasonal flu, so it drew little attention. However, not long after the soldiers of Camp
Funston became infected, the flu began to spread across Kansas, killing 3 in early April which
got public attention. As soldiers were shipped across the Atlantic to fight, the abnormally le-
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STUDENT'S MAGAZINE \
GETTY.(2020 ,20 Mar). Londoners wearing protective masks during the Spanish flu outbreak – similar to today [digital image]. Retrieved from
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1257900/coronavirus-news-spanish-flu-difference-today-pandemic-covid19-spt. Web. 14 April 2020
thal H1N1 virus began to spread to other continents, particularly Europe. After inflicting con-
siderable damage to the world, the disease seemed to die down for a while. However, little did
the people know that what they had just suffered was the first and mildest wave of what was
to become known as the Spanish Flu.
In September of 1918, the flu started to infect Boston. This period of the pandemic is now
known as the 2nd wave. It began to spread across the United States, killing hundreds of thou-
sands in just a few months. The country started to suffer from a shortage of nurses, hospitals
were full, and the dead piled up waiting to be buried. Outside of America, Europe and Asia
also began to feel the full force of the epidemic. The war and its end expedited the spread of
the flu as people celebrated armistice and soldiers returned home. Officials tried desperately
to suppress the spread of the virus by placing every patient in quarantine and limiting public
transportation and worktime. The 2nd wave was the most destructive one. The 3rd and last
wave arrived in early 1919 and left in summer. The flu was gone in just 18 months.
The Spanish Flu infected 30% of the world’s population and killed up to 100 million people,
more than both World War I and World War II put together. Every continent was affected
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by it. Part of what made the flu so deadly was the ineffectiveness of medicine
and incompetent management. Attempts to develop a vaccine were not suc-
cessful, since it was believed that the viral pathogen was, in fact, bacterial.
Many deaths from the disease were caused by bacterial pneumonia, which,
nowadays, is a treatable condition. However, antibiotics were not around a
hundred years ago, resulting in a substantial loss of life. Hospitals were also
overcrowded. Attempts to stop the spread of the disease were not effective.
Soldiers were shipped in mass across continents. These mistakes were all pre-
ventable, but have some been repeated in this pandemic?
In comparison, the Spanish Flu had an estimated mortality rate of about 20%
while COVID-19 (as of March 2020) has a rate just under 5%. Both of the vi-
ruses attack the respiratory system and are highly contagious. The Spanish flu
was spread across the globe during wartime primarily by military personnel
in ships, while the coronavirus has spread through business and tourism in
today’s global economy. This might make it easier to contract the latter now
than it was to contract the former 100 years ago. The coronavirus may also
come in waves, just like the flu. However, with the aid of medical knowledge
and past experience, the coronavirus probably will not be as destructive physi-
cally as the Spanish flu, but its other effects on society may still be severe. Keep
in mind that since our economy is much more globally interconnected now
than it was 100 years ago. The world economy depends on travel and trade. An
economic recession is almost inevitable, and even the possibility of a world
depression which in turn may in turn lead to mass unemployment, financial
devastation and social unrest.
Now, let us look back to the Spanish Flu. After the outbreak, the economy was,
indeed, unstable. However, keep in mind that the condition was also caused
by the war. There were no major conflicts during the crisis, and by the 1920’s,
the economy was back in great shape. The question is, “Will that apply to this
pandemic?”
So far, everyone is doing their best to make the situation better. Vaccines are
on their way, doctors are working hard, countries are limiting transportation
and placing risky areas in lockdown, and you are keeping both yourself and
others safe staying in self quarantine and keeping to social distancing. The
Spanish Flu taught us many things. Humanity has made it through many pan-
demics. This is just another one. Do the best you can to prevent the spread
of COVID-19. Follow precautions. With the help of medical developments,
cooperation from everyone, knowledge from history, and your actions, we will
make it through this crisis together. Stay safe.
---------------------------FUN FACT---------------------------
Contrary to popular belief, the Spanish Flu did not originate in Spain.
There is a reason behind the name, though; during World War I, none
of the fighting countries wanted to publicly spread news of the disease,
fearing that it would affect their country’s morale. Spain was neutral
during the war and the press was free to cover the flu in great detail.
This, combined with the fact that the king of Spain was sick with the
disease at the time, was the reason that the disease became known as
the Spanish Flu.
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STUDENT'S MAGAZINE \
CORONA
ON THE
MIND
YUENBING OOI
(#15 - YUENBING 4/330)
UK government.(2011, 22 Oct). Digital scan of
original KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON poster
[digital image]. Retrieved from https://commons.
wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Keep-calm-and-carry-on-
scan.jpg. Web. 13 April 2020
“Keep calm and carry on”
The Coronavirus is everywhere, literally and metaphorically. It is all over the news, it is all over Instagram, and it is all over
the internet; everyone is talking about it. People are condemning one another for not staying home, and as much as Pres-
ident Trump would like to suggest otherwise, the pandemic is a real threat. Malls are being shut down, classes are being
taken at home, and tissue paper is being fought over; unless you’ve been living under a rock, your life has most likely been
affected by the pandemic in some way. It’s hard not to be anxious about something, especially when information about
how deadly or how prevalent it is is constantly being shoved into your face, for better or for worse. Especially when those
under your care or those significant people in your life are far away from you, that anxiety extends not only to yourself, but
for worry of something bad happening to them as well. As creatures that take pride in being rational, this intense anxiety
often manifests itself in precautions that will often prove us wrong; from demanding multiple redundant health checkups
to stockpiling food and supplies that might be more useful in the hands of those that more desperately need them. While
I’m not saying that we should downplay the situation (denial is clearly not the way to go here), we shouldn’t feel so anxious
and we should always try to keep ourselves calm especially during these hard times of crisis, where irrationality only helps
to accentuate the problem.
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“FEAR IS WHAT CAN’T BE TRUSTED”
It is easy to engage in labeling and discriminating against others when it is convenient for us to shift
blame. During the AIDS epidemic, members of the LGBT+ community, the majority of those that were being
infected, were seen as being punished by God for their lifestyles. During the ironically named Plague of Cyprian
which was pervasive in the Roman empire in the third century, Bishop Cyprian used this as proof that his people’s
religion was superior to that of the Romans’. As the threat of being infected increases, our tolerance for the differ-
ent, the deviant, and the eccentric decreases. In a psychological experiment done by Mark Schaller, participants
showed a clear difference in their answers when primed first with the threat of contagion; that is, when they were
reminded of bad memories related to illness, participants gave answers that conformed with the majority and with
precedents. The answers that they gave in another prompt were also considerably less progressive; when asked
whether they prefer those who were more conventional and traditional as opposed to those that were more cre-
ative and artistic, the participants were less likely to prefer the latter. When we fear something, we want to attribute
that fear to and associate it with something tangible because it is much more threatening to us if the thing that we
fear is unknown to us. It isn’t hard to see why when we feel threatened by epidemics, the little things in life that
feel out of place and even mildly threatening to us ought to make us feel more defensive, whether that be a healthy
person with allergies sneezing or a Chinese tourist.
“I SOMETIMES FANCY THAT IN MY CONDITION IF I HAD LESS OPPOSITION AND MORE SOCIETY
AND STIMULUS”
Social distancing is crucial to stopping the spread of Covid-19. Yet, we have seen from Stephen King’s
The Shining to Charlotte Perkin Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper that while solitude might help us in reducing the
spread of Covid-19, it is also extremely detrimental to our mental health. We humans have evolved to become
social animals because in the past, being alone meant you had less food, less protection, fewer chances to mate,
and thus, less chances for survival. Our bodies have adapted to expect social stimulation from us. In a study done
by Brigham Young University, social isolation resulted in a fifty percent increase in premature death, from the
hundreds of thousands of people that participated. We have evolved to automatically become stressed and anx-
ious when we are alone, both because of the decreased amount of cognitive stimulation, but also because of our
increased vulnerability. This stress is correlated with increased levels of the hormone cortisol, which is unhealthy
when exposed to our nervous system for a prolonged period of time, and is also correlated with a less efficient
immune system and even depression. While social distancing is pivotal in stopping this pandemic, it is always a
good idea to not let it affect our mental health.
SOME THINGS YOU CAN DO IN ISOLATION TO HELP COPE, MENTALLY…
Don’t obsess over data - while it is always important to stay informed about how serious the pandemic is, doing so
constantly i.e. every five minutes can morph into more anxiety and fear of the pandemic. Monitor how often you
do this and control yourself.
Prioritize things that you can control - from basic health precautions like washing your hands before meals and
other intervals to staying at home and committing to social distancing.
Keep in contact with trusted friends and family members - it keeps your brain stimulated and talking can help
relieve pent up anxiety about the situation.
Don’t beat yourself up - if you’re feeling low or even overly anxious, don’t blame yourself; lots of other people are
going through the same thing!
Keep a journal - documenting your thoughts on the current situation and what you plan to do when the situation
becomes less intense can help with keeping proper checks and balance on how you view the pandemic as well as
your mental health.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to mental health professionals if you need it! - contrary to popular belief, going to the
psychiatrist’s or counselor’s does not mean you are a dysfunct, hopeless human being. In the same way that you
should go to a doctor when you need physical medication, you should also go to a mental health professional
when you need psychiatric or psychological assistance. This problem need not be as serious as depression or anx-
iety disorders, but if it’s getting in the way of you going through your everyday life, you should consider making
an appointment to make things easier for yourself!
Reference
Apter, Terri. “Epidemic Psychology.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 13 Mar. 2020, www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/domestic-intelli
gence/202003/epidemic-psychology.
Robson, David. “The Fear of Coronavirus Is Changing Our Psychology.” BBC Future, BBC, 2 Apr. 2020, www.bbc.com/future/artcle/20200401-
covid-19-how-fear-of-coronavirus-is-changing-our-psychology.
Magen, Jed. “Loneliness Is Bad for Your Health.” The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2020, theconversation.com/loneliness-is-bad-for-your
health-90901.
Smith, Melinda, and Lawrence Robinson. “Coronavirus Anxiety: Coping with Stress, Fear & Uncertainty.” HelpGuide.org, 30 Mar. 2020, www.
help guide.org/articles/anxiety/coronavirus-anxiety.htm.
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ILLUSTRATED BY JIRATCHAYA PUAPORNPONG (#6 - ING 5/340)
Spending Time During
the Lock Down
JIRATCHAYA PUAPORNPONG (#6 - ING 5/340)
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The Covid 19 pandemic has sent thousands of citizens home into isolation. Malls, schools,
restaurants, and sports clubs have been forced closed to prevent the spread of the virus. During the
lockdown, people have to stay home for social distancing. Some may have to work at home while
others will inevitably lose their jobs. If the lockdown becomes effective 24 hours a day, plenty of
free time will definitely be available. People have unique ways to deal with this situation. While
some succeed in finding at-home activities to spend their once-in-a-blue-moon free time, many
are still struggling in their search for things to take up their day. Self-improvement, rarely-done
activities, education, long-term activities, and social contributions are some of the suggestions that
can fill up the empty schedule.
The lockdown gives individuals isolation, the chance to reflect upon themselves, and to
start self improvement. One example of this could be exercising. During normal office hours, many
do not have enough time to take care of their physical health. This can leave them weak, prone
to diseases, and perhaps unsatisfied with their body shape and appearance. With sufficient time,
however, more exercising is possible. The required equipment and instructions for simple exercises
can be easily looked up on the internet. Another activity possible during the quarantine could be
updating one’s existing skills, both related and unrelated to work. For instance, one could pick up
an instrument that they used to play in high school and practice, work on their photo editing skills,
or sharpen academic skills on certain websites, like Khan Academy.
In normal conditions, people would have to spend most of their time working. As a result,
many additional activities that are time-consuming, or regarded as unnecessary, are left out. One’s
house condition is a good example. During normal workdays, most houses serve as a place just to
rest and keep one’s belongings. Thus, not much attention is given to them. The lockdown allows
people to take care of their homes. They could clean and rearrange their house, put away things
that are not used, rearrange their belongings, or clean the unvisited areas. Revisiting the plans and
dreams made during normal times, and completing them, would also be a good idea.
The time available makes room for education. The internet provides countless online
courses, like The Master Class, for different professions. Skills like drawing, cooking, sewing, writ-
ing, coding, or graphic designs could be learned from Google and YouTube. Learning a musical
instrument is another great idea. Simple and cheap instruments like the Thai flute, recorder, har-
monica, or ukulele can be ordered off the internet. These instruments may sound like a joke to
many people, but with practice and a lot of patience, it can sound pleasant and lift one’s mood.
Extensive free time would also allow for long term activities. Watching an entire series, or
movies, could be a choice to spend the time on. This is available from many applications like Net-
flix, We TV, Apple TV, or websites on the internet. Entertaining webcomics, web novels, e-books,
or manga are available online from many famous platforms. These include Read A Write, Joy Lada,
Ookbee, Line Webtoon, Comico, and Meb. The suggestions and reviews of these media could be
looked up on the internet. If one has specific skills, they could start a large, extensive project that
can be done continuously. For example, one could start writing a novel, draw a comic, embroider,
sew a doll, plant something, or record and compose music.
Lastly, since citizens are required to stay at home, besides helping oneself, contributing
to society and helping with the situation are also valuable uses of time and resources. Money and
medical equipment donations can be made to hospitals all over the country. Joining campaigns to
encourage sick people and the medical staff is also a good activity to be done. This may be a tiny
help, but at least it is something.
Self-improvement, rarely-done activities, education, long-term activities, and societal
contributions are only just some examples of the numerous possible activities that could be done
during the lockdown. The choices of these activities may depend on one’s preference and opinion,
but still, such rare free times should be used efficiently.
Refs:
https://www.inc.com/larry-kim/14-in-demand-skills-you-can-learn-online-now.html
https://takelessons.com/blog/easiest-instrument-for-adults
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WINNING
THE COVID-19 WAR
A Comprehensive Update on Treatments,
Antivirals, and Vaccines
SIWAT RAKNGAN (# -ART 5/350)
For the past few months, COVID-19 has been ravaging the globe. Tens of thousands of lives have been
lost, social life has somewhat vanished, economies are plummeting, and yet it seems nebulous when the
crisis will cease. The rising number of cases has taken its toll on healthcare systems, with an increased
demand for workers, equipment, facilities, and funding. How long do we have to endure until the world
gets the upper hand over the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)? The answer depends largely on the
development of antivirals and vaccines.
A Silent Killer
People often make comparisons between COVID-19 and influenza (the flu). After all, both are viral
respiratory infections. They have similar routes of transmission, mainly through droplets, and share
symptoms such as fever, dry cough, fatigue, and body aches. Their resemblances explain why some
people are unconcerned with this ongoing pandemic.
Nevertheless, the two diseases are different. As of April 2, 2020, COVID-19 has a worldwide case-fatal-
ity rate1 of about 5%, which is greater than that of the seasonal flu at only 0.1%, though estimates are
constantly changing (Worldometer). This figure may decrease once the pandemic is over, but for now,
it’s deadlier than the flu. Preliminary evidence also suggests that COVID-19 patients are more likely to
be hospitalized (National Public Radio).
Moreover, COVID-19 is more contagious since a person with the disease is expected to infect 2-2.5 oth-
er people, whereas this number is 1.3 for the flu (these are called basic reproduction numbers). Initially,
this difference appears small; however, the growth is exponential. Vox provides a clear demonstration.
Suppose there are 10 rounds of transmission. By the end, a person with the flu will have spread it to
55 other people, while COVID-19 will result in a staggering 2047 cases if we use 2 as its growth factor.
Another noteworthy distinction is the incubation period—the time elapsed between exposure to the
virus and onset (appearance) of symptoms. The flu takes 1-4 days before its symptoms emerge. On the
contrary, the incubation period for COVID-19 varies considerably by case, ranging from 1-14 days.
This is what makes the disease so unsettling; perhaps you’re asymptomatic, or not presenting symp-
toms, yet you can still unknowingly transmit the virus to others. No one can be sure whether you have
the disease unless you take a screening test at a hospital—even so, these low-cost tests may be inaccurate
(FierceBiotech). Self-quarantine is a preventive measure which slows the spread of COVID-19; less so-
cial contact means less chance of getting the coronavirus or giving it to someone else.
Care Amid the Covid
The fact remains: there are currently no specific medicines or vaccines to prevent or treat COVID-19
(World Health Organization). Symptomatic treatment, also known as supportive care, is the only avail-
able option. This type of therapy addresses the symptoms but not the underlying cause (i.e. the corona-
virus).
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ILLUSTRATED BY:
PREEYAKORN BANGMO (#10 - BEAUTY 5/340), CHAWANRAT PERMBHUSRI (#18 - BAMBI 5/340),
PUNNAPA SUVIMOLPAN (#12 - PUN 5/350)
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STUDENT'S MAGAZINE \
Fortunately, around 80% of patients experience mild or no symptoms (Business Insider). WHO’s
recommendations are to stay home and adopt healthful behaviors, especially washing your hands
frequently, covering your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, and maintaining social dis-
tance inside and outside the home. Infected individuals should also wear face masks to avoid spread-
ing the disease. For this group, medical intervention is unnecessary as they can gradually recover,
letting their immune systems do the work. Early symptoms may be relieved by taking painkillers
such as paracetamol/Tylenol (National Health Service).
The rest comprise severe (15%) and critical (5%) cases, which require hospitalization (Worldome-
ter). The elderly, as well as people with chronic health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and
high blood pressure, are most at risk for major complications involving COVID-19. Generally, the
coronavirus resides in the upper respiratory tract, primarily the nose and throat, but it sometimes
makes its way down. The real trouble begins once it infects the lungs—this is when the virus “kills”.
Patients are likely to develop fluid in their alveoli—air sacs in the lungs—leading to pneumonia and
shortness of breath. Respiratory failure, multi-organ failure, and death may follow if the severity
intensifies. Oxygen delivery is needed to mitigate breathing difficulties; it comes in various forms,
including supplemental oxygen via a nasal mask, mechanical ventilation, and extracorporeal mem-
brane oxygenation (ECMO)2.
The Corona Factory
A virus operates by invading a person’s host cells and then hijacking the cellular machinery, or
organelles, to produce more copies of itself. Each virus strain has a different mechanism. Here’s a
rundown of what SARS-CoV-2 does to our cells:
Spike protein on the virus binds to cell surface receptors (ACE2), granting access to the cell. These
receptors are abundant in the respiratory tract.
Once inside, it releases and uses its genome3 (RNA) to make polyproteins, which are broken down
into non-structural proteins, forming a replicase-transcriptase complex4.
With the help of the complex, the genomic RNAs are replicated, some of which will end up as the
new virion’s genome.
The complex turns other replicated RNAs into structural and accessory proteins.
The Golgi apparatus, an organelle, assembles and packages everything (genome, proteins, and other
materials) together to create virions.
Mature virions are released out of the host cells, which are damaged or destroyed in the process.
The viruses attack more cells, replicating into more copies.
Our immune system kicks in and fights off these invaders. In severe and critical cases, the immune
response goes into overdrive, unleashing cytokine storms5 that further injure the respiratory tree
and cause inflammation.
Counterattack I: Medications
If we can prevent or disrupt any step of the viral replication cycle, then an infected individual will
soon get better—this is the rationale behind antiviral drugs. Antivirals target and disable particular
viral proteins or parts of proteins which are unlike the ones found in humans to circumvent unin-
tentional cellular damage.
There’s yet to be a definitive medicine for COVID-19. Researchers are now repurposing existing
drugs to see if they benefit patients suffering from this emerging disease. Since these drugs are al-
ready FDA-approved and have safely been utilized for other viral diseases, it’s simpler to test them
than to develop a brand-new one, which often takes years of research. Pharmaceutical firms hope
that in their massive database of drugs, there will be at least one that does the job.
A few drugs directly attack the virus, attempting to halt its replication. An investigational intrave-
nous antiviral, remdesivir was intended to be used against Ebola and Marburg viruses. Although
its original objective wasn’t a success, it has recently been in the limelight as the “most promising
COVID-19 drug” (Drug Target Review). It inhibits the production of the RNA-dependent RNA
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polymerase (RdRP) enzyme, a crucial component in RNA replication [step 3]. Seemingly effective,
remdesivir needs more large-scale testing. The Japanese influenza antiviral favipiravir, marketed under
the brand name Avigan, is thought to have a similar mode of action. After administering clinical trials
of 340 patients, a Chinese official gave encouraging feedback that favipiravir was “clearly effective” in
treating the coronavirus (The Guardian). Likewise, protease inhibitors, another class of antivirals, block
the activity of enzymes that catalyze the breakdown of proteins [step 2]. The protease inhibitors lopina-
vir and ritonavir are combined into a fixed-dose anti-HIV medication, sold under the brand name
Kaletra. For serious COVID-19 cases, however, a Chinese study of 199 patients concludes, “[N]o benefit
was observed with lopinavir-ritonavir treatment beyond standard care” (The New England Journal of
Medicine).
Other drugs utilize an alternative approach: blocking the virus from interacting with its host cells. Re-
searchers have identified several human proteins which the virus needs to function properly; they’re
trying to find drugs that bind to those proteins. Since these drugs target us, not the virus, they’re still
usable even if the virus mutates—a significant advantage over the previous method. For instance, the
antimalarial chloroquine and its derivative hydroxychloroquine raise the pH of the intracellular en-
vironment, hindering the virus’s entry into the cell [step 1] and its activity within the cell [steps 2-5].
The two drugs have garnered a lot of media attention, with President Donald Trump claiming that
hydroxychloroquine taken with the antibiotic6 azithromycin could be “one of the biggest game chang-
ers in the history of medicine” (Twitter) and Elon Musk remarking that chloroquine might be “worth
considering” (Twitter). Furthermore, an agent called camostat mesylate may be helpful as it impedes the
protease TMPRSS2, required for the virus to enter the cell [step 1]. A potential problem is that multiple
proteases are performing the same role. At the moment, studies for these medicines are inconclusive or
have contradictory findings. More trials are necessary to determine their effectiveness.
Some medications do not affect the viral life cycle, but instead help dampen the body’s immune inflam-
matory response [step 8], which will reduce the damage done to the lungs. Convalescent plasma, the
liquid component of blood from recovered COVID-19 patients, is under investigation. The survivors/
donors have developed antibodies, proteins that recognize and bind to viral antigens (structures that
stimulate the immune response), defending the body from the foreign invasion. Plasma transfusions
establish passive immunity within the infected patients, which may help alleviate their symptoms. Be-
sides convalescent plasma, there are also monoclonal antibodies, synthetic proteins that act like human
antibodies; they’re identical copies of one type of antibody, and hence “monoclonal”. An example of
this would be the immunosuppressant tocilizumab. So far, the drug appears to be effective with a small
sample of patients (Cancer Network).
Counterattack II: Vaccinations
Recovery alone is insufficient. A safe, healthy person today may fall victim to the virus tomorrow. If we
want SARS-CoV-2 to be eradicated, vaccination is our best hope.
Vaccines train the body’s immune system to combat pathogens by introducing information that induc-
es the production of antibodies. If you’ve encountered the pathogen before, then your body will know
how to deal with it because of the antibodies. This is called immunological memory, and it’s why after
getting vaccinated, your immune system can quickly identify the threats and initiate an appropriate
counterattack.
A typical vaccine contains antigens of a pathogen that are injected into the body without causing symp-
toms of the disease, though mild side effects may still occur. There are four main types of vaccines. Live,
attenuated vaccines use weakened pathogens, while inactivated vaccines use microbes that have been
killed. Toxoids are inactivated toxins from the pathogen, and subunit vaccines are composed of anti-
genic fragments of the pathogen.
The global coronavirus vaccine race has been going on since the beginning of 2020. The international
scientific community is cooperating, and vaccines are expected to enter the market in about 12-18
16
STUDENT'S MAGAZINE \
months. Although this duration seems painfully long considering the current situation, it’s “incredi-
bly fast”, perhaps too optimistic, for vaccine development (World Economic Forum). A vaccine usu-
ally goes through exploratory and preclinical studies (vaccine design and laboratory/animal testing)
and three phases of clinical trials (human testing) before approval: the first checks for safety, while
the second and third primarily evaluate the efficacy, or the ability to produce a desired outcome
under ideal, controlled circumstances. Each successive phase needs more participants, and thus
time, than the last—phase 1: 20-80 people (weeks), phase 2: 100-300 people (months), and phase
3: 1,000-3,000 people (years). Once approved, the vaccine must be distributed around the globe; its
long-term results will be monitored by physicians in phase 4. Compared to past outbreaks in which
the entire procedure can take up to a decade, we’re developing them at breakneck speed. If we have
COVID-19 vaccines in a year, it’ll certainly be an unprecedented achievement.
An interesting vaccine candidate is mRNA-1273 from the biotechnology company Moderna. Thanks
to early efforts by Chinese scientists, we now have a complete genome sequence of SARS-CoV-2
freely available on the Internet (National Center for Biotechnology Information). Researchers at
Moderna have engineered RNA vaccines that deliver mRNA7 strands into our body cells, which
then make corresponding antigens (in this case, the viral spike proteins). The immune system gen-
erates antibodies in response. RNA vaccines are cheaper and easier to manufacture than traditional
ones; whether they’re safe and effective remains to be seen. Phase 1 clinical trials for mRNA-1273 are
underway. Of course, other types of vaccines from a variety of companies are also in development.
Moving Forward
Will containment measures cause the disease to slowly disappear? Maybe. Will humans attain herd
immunity8 and overcome the outbreak? Likely. It’ll take some time, depending on the rates of infec-
tion and immunization, which will put a strain on our society as a whole. If the disease does retreat,
will it return? There’s a good possibility. Will human civilization come to an end? Probably not. We
can’t say for sure how the pandemic will end.
As biomedical researchers and physicians are experimenting with viable treatment and vaccination
options, we should wait patiently and practice safe hygienic habits. We may not be happy, but we’re
buying them valuable time and doing the greater good for public health.
1 proportion of fatal cases among those who have the disease; not always reliable because it is affected by sampling bias (e.g.
not all cases are reported)
2 an advanced form of life support that uses a pump to circulate blood through an artificial lung (oxygenator) back into the
bloodstream; only used in critical conditions
3 an organism’s complete set of genetic material (DNA/RNA), though viruses aren’t living things
4 The complex facilitates the next two steps: RNA replication (making more genomic RNAs) and transcription (getting multi-
ple mRNAs from a genomic RNA).
5 overproduction of immune cells and their activating compounds, called cytokines
6 Antibiotics don’t normally work against a virus, but using them in conjunction with other antivirals may be beneficial in
certain cases.
7 messenger RNA; encodes instructions to make proteins
8 the indirect protection from a contagious, infectious disease occurring when a high percentage of the population is immune
either through infection or vaccination
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\ EPTS GAZETTE
REFERENCES
Balfour, Hannah. “Remdesivir most promising COVID-19 drug, say researchers.” Drug Target Review. Russell Publishing
Ltd., 27 Mar. 2020. Web. 6 Apr. 2020. <https://www.drugtargetreview.com/news/58608/remdesivir-most-promis
ing-covid-19-drug-say-researchers/>.
Cao, Bin, et al. “A Trial of Lopinavir–Ritonavir in Adults Hospitalized with Severe Covid-19.” The New England Journal of
Medicine. Massachusetts Medical Society, 18 Mar. 2020. Web. 6 Apr. 2020. <https://www.nejm.org/doi/
full/10.1056/NEJMoa2001282>.
“Coronavirus Symptoms (COVID-19).” Worldometer. n.p., 29 Feb. 2020. Web. 6 Apr. 2020. <https://www.worldometers.info/
coronavirus/coronavirus-symptoms/>.
“Coronavirus Update (Live).” Worldometer. n.p., 2 Apr. 2020. Web. 2 Apr. 2020. <https://www.worldometers.info/coronavi
rus/>.
Hale, Conor. “Current COVID-19 antibody tests aren’t accurate enough for mass screening, say Oxford researchers.” Fierce
Biotech. Questex, LLC., 8 Apr. 2020. Web. 13 Apr. 2020. <https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/current-covid-
19-antibody-tests-aren-t-accurate-enough-for-mass-screening-say-oxford>.
Huang, Pien. “How The Novel Coronavirus And The Flu Are Alike ... And Different.” National Public Radio. n.p., 20 Mar.
2020. Web. 13 Apr. 2020. <https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/03/20/815408287/how-the-novel-
coronavirus-and-the-flu-are-alike-and-different>.
Marshall, Madeline. “Coronavirus is not the flu. It’s worse.” Vox. Vox Media, LLC., 1 Apr. 2020. Web. 6 Apr. 2020. <https://
www.vox.com/covid-19-coronavirus-treatment-prevention-cure-vaccines/2020/4/1/21203242/coronavi
rus-flu-covid-19>.
McCurry, Justin. “Japanese flu drug ‘clearly effective’ in treating coronavirus, says China.” The Guardian. Guardian
News & Media Limited, 18 Mar. 2020. Web. 6 Apr. 2020. <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/18/japa
nese-flu-drug-clearly-effective-in-treating-coronavirus-says-china>.
“Moderna’s Work on a Potential Vaccine Against COVID-19.” Moderna. Moderna, Inc., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2020. <https://
www.modernatx.com/modernas-work-potential-vaccine-against-covid-19>.
Musk, Elon (elonmusk). “Maybe worth considering chloroquine for C19.” Twitter. n.p., 17 Mar. 2020. Web. 6 Apr. 2020.
<https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1239650597906898947>.
Prichep, Elissa. “Why a coronavirus vaccine takes over a year to produce – and why that is incredibly fast.” World Economic
Forum. n.p., 3 Apr. 2020. Web. 6 Apr. 2020. <https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/why-a-coronavirus-vac
cine-takes-over-a-year-to-produce-and-why-that-is-incredibly-fast/>.
“Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19).” World Health Organization. n.p., 9 Mar. 2020. Web. 6 Apr. 2020. <https://www.who.
int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses>.
“SARS-CoV-2 (Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) Sequences.” National Center for Biotechnology Informa
tion. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2020. <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genbank/sars-cov-2-
seqs/>.
Secon, Holly. “80% of COVID-19 patients experience ‘mild’ symptoms — but that likely still involves a fever and cough.”
Business Insider. Insider Inc., 13 Mar. 2020. Web. 6 Apr. 2020. <https://www.businessinsider.com/what-coronavi
rus-mild-symptoms-are-fever-2020-3>.
“Self-isolation if you or someone you live with has symptoms.” National Health Service. n.p., 9 Apr. 2020. Web. 13 Apr. 2020.
<https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-advice/>.
Slater, Hannah. “Case Study Shows Efficacy from Tocilizumab in Patient With COVID-19, Myeloma.” Cancer Network.
MJH Life Sciences, 9 Apr. 2020. <https://www.cancernetwork.com/news/case-study-shows-efficacy-tocilizum
ab-patient-covid-19-myeloma>.
Trump, Donald J. (realDonaldTrump). “HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE & AZITHROMYCIN, taken together,.....” Twitter. n.p.,
21 Mar. 2020. Web. 6 Apr. 2020. <https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1241367239900778501>.
IMAGE REFERENCES
Ramesh, Rashmi. (2017, 31 Oct). Adults can be vaccinated for a range of diseases such as swine flu, typhoid, hepatitis, tetanus
and pneumonia. [digital image]. Retrieved from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/ adults-need-
vaccination-too-here-are-the-situations-that-may-require-it/articleshow/61353274.cms. Web. 8 April 2020.
Kon, Akio.(2020, 04 Apr). Avigan was originally developed to treat influenza and approved by Japanese regulators in 2014
[digital image].Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/story/japan-is-racing-to-test-a-drug-to-treat-covid-19/.
Web. 8 April 2020. 18
STUDENT'S MAGAZINE \
ILLUSTRATION & EDITING BY:
PUNNAPA SUVIMOLPAN (#12 - PUN M5/350)
19
\ EPTS GAZETTE
APPLICATIONS
TO UPGRADE YOUR
QUARANTINE
ARAYA WONGKLAW ( #3 - MILD M.5/340)
Due to the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak being named a pandemic, we have noticed
tremendous growth in COVID-19- related applications and online websites. During quarantine, we still need
essential elements to survive whilst being locked inside our homes; food, academic tools, and essential services.
Here we list some on-demand applications to upgrade your quarantine to the next level of lifestyle.
COOKPAD - RECIPE SHARING
This is an application for those who wish to cook home-made meals for
themselves. The app offers lots of delectable recipes for anyone to try in
their kitchen - as one can search for any specific menu and receive step-by-
step instructions from professional chefs and experienced users. Newbies
can also ask, if curious, about the directions and receive handy advice from
experts via the chatbox platform in the app.
FOODPANDA - FOOD DELIVERY
Foodpanda is a mobile application providing food delivery from your fa-
vorite restaurants to the front door of your house. No need to worry about
not storing enough food supplies since you can merely order a meal any-
time via the mobile application, without risk of leaving your safe zone.
Foodpanda offers a variety of foods from renowned franchise restaurants
such as Pizza Hut and Burger King to a typical Thai-style street food such
as Padthai Jayo and five stars chicken rice.
ZOOM CLOUD MEETING
If you wish to work and learn from home, do not miss out on download-
ing this app. The platform for online video communications, Zoom Cloud
Meeting, is a somewhat essential element to survive the virus outbreak as it
is a prerequisite for employers and employees to continue with their proj-
ects and keep up with their team. The features include online meetings,
video webinar, conference rooms, phone, and chat system.
AWAY COVID-19
Away COVID-19 is an application designed to offer essential and insightful
information about the pandemic for every individual in the community. It
is a Mini app partnered with Line, moreover, you can find and use the app
via Line for free! Away app shows the approximate numbers of COVID-19
patients in each area with real-time statistics based on data from the Thai
Ministry of Public Health.
20
STUDENT'S MAGAZINE \
HOW COVID-19
AFFECTS THE SOCIETY
PUNIKA SUVIMOLPAN (#19 - PAN 1/343)
PITSINEE NARUNATVANICH (#22 - PAT 1/343)
AIYADA IEUMWANANONTHACHAI (#35 - IDA 1/343)
ILLUSTRATED BY CHAWANRAT PERMBHUSRI (@18 - BAMBI 5/340)
21
\ EPTS GAZETTE
MEDICAL
The brave and hard-working members of the medical profession are crucial for sustaining
everyday life under threat from the COVID-19 virus and its consequences. The virus has
spread to infect hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, many of whom have sadly died.
The Ministry of Public Health has implemented measures to reduce the likelihood of people
contracting the virus. For example, producing masks and diagnostic tools more quickly, min-
imizing the risk to people who are most at risk of becoming infected, and providing for robust
examination and screening measures for the safety of the medical staff, as well as others.
TOURISM
Most, if not all countries, now face the threat of COVID-19; its impact is truly global. Tourism
is a significant economic factor for Thailand, and particularly important to us are Chinese
tourists. According to one study, we have lost 1.4-2.5 million visitors, representing 35%-60%
of income from Chinese tourists.
The problem of income-loss by the tourism industry has knock-on effects in other areas.
Tourism data reveals that the shrinking economy is felt most harshly by hotels and accom-
modation, tourism souvenir sales, and food and beverage outlets. These losses will result in
1.5-2.7 billion-baht losses from the Chinese tourist market alone this year.
ENTERTAINMENT
We are now living in the fourth industrial revolution (industry 4.0), with technology trending
towards data exchange and the Internet of Things (IoT). There are many entertainment ac-
tivities available in malls, including movie theaters, skating rinks, bowling alleys, and theme
parks. Still, The Medical Department of Thailand requires that these must close to prevent the
spread of infection. Venues not based in malls have undergone“Big Cleaning” operations to
prevent the virus from spreading, though most of these places have also closed.
IMPORTING AND EXPORTING PRODUCTS
Importing and exporting goods are among the main methods of earning and generating in-
come by entrepreneurs. However, in the wake of the COVID-19 virus, many countries have
stopped importing and exporting products for their safety and to prevent further infection.
Manufacturers and distributors lose income from this slow-down and face profit losses and
increases in unemployment.
Halting the transportation of goods inevitably affects the production and export of
products worldwide. It is also not possible to import products from other countries. For ex-
ample, Chinese exports are an essential resource for states without a manufacturing industry.
Cessation of trading and exporting harms the supply chain, which can result in inflation and
limited access to vital goods, such as face masks.
STOCK MARKETS
Currently, the global spread of the COVID-19 virus brings news and reports from Asia, Eu-
rope, South America, and the United States. The broadcasts cause panic in society. Investors
feel insecure; they sell their stock to recover their money from the market, or they spend on
safer and smaller investments. The falling markets result in increased volatility.
Trading triggered circuit-breakers in markets around the world. Circuit breakers activate
under high-volatility dealing, so they are not enabled often. Fear of the spread of the virus has
caused global stock markets to perform at their worst. Almost all market stocks are suffering;
oil stocks, factories, and manufacturing are all having difficulties surviving in the market, and
it will take months for the markets to get back in shape.
Nonetheless, this might be one of the best times to buy or invest in shares; stocks have
fallen over 20% from their peak at the outbreak, and many investments currently offer their
best value for more than a decade.
Uncertainty is the fundamental reason for a market’s volatility. It remains uncertain what will
happen with the stock market. All we can do is reflect and stay calm.
22
STUDENT'S MAGAZINE \
SUPPORT
THROUGH HARD TIMES
NISRA SOOKPRADIST (#14 - BOO 3/341)
ONNICHA SIRIUDOMSAIT (#31 - JIN JIN 3/341)
SIKANUNYA KUNTANARUMITKUL (#31 - YUKYIK 3/342)
AMINTA PERMPOONWIWAT (#33 - AIM 3/342)
Millions unemployed, families failing to put food on the table, and doctors working overtime—COVID-19 illions unemployed, families failing to put food on the table, and doctors working overtime—COVID-19 illions unemployed, families failing to put food on the table, and doctors working overtime—COVID-19
M M
h h
has disrupted the lives of many people. Different groups of people experience different problems, hence as disrupted the lives of many people. Different groups of people experience different problems, hence as disrupted the lives of many people. Different groups of people experience different problems, hence
they are dealing with it in many ways. In spite of all the panic shopping and hoarding, the pandemic has hey are dealing with it in many ways. In spite of all the panic shopping and hoarding, the pandemic has hey are dealing with it in many ways. In spite of all the panic shopping and hoarding, the pandemic has
t t
a a
also brought many people together and has shown a different side of humanity. lso brought many people together and has shown a different side of humanity. lso brought many people together and has shown a different side of humanity.
----------------------------------------------AROUND THE WORLD--------------------------------------------
#savewithstories
This is a charity project run by actresses, Jennifer Garner and Amy Adams, in partnership with non-profit
organizations, ‘Save the Children’ and ‘No Kid Hungry’. This charity tries to raise money to provide meals
for children who rely on school food to fulfil their hunger by gathering around actors, singers and celebri-
ties to read children’s books and persuade the audience to fund the money.
Many other actors and actresses are also lending a hand to help those who might be affected by the out-
break. One of the most vulnerable groups are workers who are struggling without paid sick time. Living
expenses have started to pile up, but many online donation sites have provided some relief to these people.
Pages like ‘GoFundMe’ have raised thousands of dollars and euros to help many countries in need. These
fundraisers are organized by civilians who want to help those who are less fortunate than them. Campaigns
related to COVID-19 have increased by 60 percent between March 20 a0nd March 24 alone, raising the
number of campaigns to over 35,000. Some pages are experiencing difficulties in raising funds because
GoFundMe pages can only gain a lot of donations if organizers promote their campaigns. Nevertheless,
every single donation counts, and it can still be used to help thousands of families
-------------------------------------------------IN THAILAND------------------------------------------------
Covid 19 Thai Heroes #go with 20
Covid 19 Thai heroes is a campaign that was created for the purpose of helping doctors at the frontline,
who are risking their lives to fight Covid19. People can donate their money to raise funds for buying pro-
tective equipment such as masks, and PPE. These equipment will then be sent to hospitals in need such as
Bamrasnaradura Hospital, Siriraj Hospital and other hospitals all through the country. The money is also
used to buy nutritious meals for doctors that are working their fullest to treat those who are infected. The
project was first initiated by Arpapan Jokowidjaja and started to boom when people posted on their social
media accounts promoting that if everyone can donate 20 baths each and spread the words on to 20 of their
friends it will turn into a huge amount of money. Currently, the total amount of money donated to this
campaign has already exceeded 37 million Thai baths and have been proven as a success. Thus this is where
the hashtag #Gowith20 started because 20 is better than 19 and together we will fight together.
Food for free
With the situation that is becoming more intense, shops and malls had to close to lessen the spread of the
virus. This created problems for employees who are forced to stay home without getting paid. In response,
some restaurants have come out to help those who have no money for food by giving meals for those who
really need it for free. Examples of these shops are “Ochin chicken and rice” and “Wat Chaloem fried pork”.
Some shops, such as “Jea Jong fried chicken”, also pack their food in boxes and send them to the four
main hospitals involved with COVID-19, this includes Rajavithi Hospital, Siriraj Hospital, Bamrasnara-
_______. (2020). [digital image]. How to Support Kids, Seniors, and Vulnerable Communities during
23 the COVID-19 Pandemic Retrieved from https://goop.com/wellness/environmental-health-civics/
how-to-help-others-during-covid-19/ Web. 14 April 2020.
\ EPTS GAZETTE
dura Hospital, and Ramathibodi Hospital. They sent 1200 boxes daily to each of these hospitals which can
be considered as a pure act of kindness and shows unity amongst Thai people even in the hardest of times.
Actors and actresses are donating money
Those who are more fortunate are very eager to help others out. Many A-list celebrities in Thailand are do-
nating millions of baht to many organizations and hospitals. For example, Bella Ranee and Yaya Urassaya
Sperbund have each donated 3 million Thai baht to the cause. Yaya has donated 500,000 baht to 6 different
hospitals to help aid with the cost of medical equipment that is vital in battling with the virus. Other actors
and actresses have also donated a considerable amount of money and medical equipment, showing their
sincere efforts to help out as many people as possible. These celebrities have taken to social media to post
bank transfer slips as evidence of their heartfelt actions. Furthermore, they have also encouraged many of
their followers to help donate to organizations and hospitals as well.
Hotels provide space for doctors
In addition, hotel owners are also contributing by providing space for doctors and nurses to rest. Some ho-
tels that are close to hospitals are now shutting down and providing rooms for doctors and nurses who have
difficulties traveling home to take a rest for free. Since the number of patients in hospitals are continuously
rising, doctors are working harder day in and day out. These rooms are provided just for those who really
need them, such as those who have homes far away or those who are too tired to travel for a long distance.
Most hotels limit that one person can only sleep for one night at a time. This is to give everyone a chance,
and they must show a card that identifies that they are a part of the medical team in order to get a free stay.
Examples of these hotels are The Residence Quarter, The Rabbitat Hostel, and Centara Grand and Bangkok
Convention Centre at Centralworld. In addition, some hotels are also proposing that the government can
use their hotel as a field hospital to treat those who are infected with COVID-19 because space in hospitals
is quickly running out. These hotels will be thoroughly checked and certified first before they can be used.
Citizens help make and donate essential medical equipment
Because of the increasing need of masks and other essential medical equipment that is used to help cure
infected patients and protect uninfected people, supplies are currently running out quickly. Consequently,
hospitals are now requesting donations of those tools and protective gears. In response, citizens are willing
to donate their stored masks to the doctors, as well as alcohol gel, antiseptic, protective equipment, dried
food, and other medical equipment. Moreover, some also buy materials and make homemade protective
gears and tools, such as face shields. They are easy to make, but some hospitals still lack these kinds of
equipment. Citizens make sure that the face shields are clean, then they donate them to the hospital for
doctors and medical staff. Many other positive actions have been taken by Thai citizens, depending on each
person’s ability, but all with great will power to save the country from the coronavirus.
Despite all the hardships and the lack of medical equipment, people all around the world are getting
through this pandemic by joining hands (not literally, of course--practice social distancing!) and coming
together to share their resources to help those in need. The outbreak has caused plenty of damage to many
aspects of the world, yet it is still an uplifting sight to see many people help contribute in their own way to
lessen the effects of the virus. One thing that COVID-19 has proven is that by supporting each other, we
will get through this pandemic together.
REFERENCES
savethechildren.org/savewithstories
https://www.bangkokbiznews.com/news/detail/872635
https://www.dailynews.co.th/regional/764260
https://www.sanook.com/news/8062290/
https://rta.mi.th/rta_website_v2/index.php/all-news/item/655-2020-02-05-16-27-01
https://www.thebigchilli.com/social-events/gowith20-support-covid-19-thai-heroes-project-unite-volunteer-power-to-support-
healthcare-providers-nationwide
https://cheezelooker.com/web/article/CHZ200300193
https://thestandard.co/hotel-business-owner-in-bangkok-slowly-open-for-physician-to-stay-for-free/
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/26/style/gofundme-coronavirus.html
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STUDENT'S MAGAZINE \
GOVERNMENT
APPROACH TO COVID - 19
THROUGH HARD TIMES
JIBHASSORN LAOLUECHAI (#6 - FRESH 3/342)
NAPASJUTHA KONGSONTHANA (#16 - SUN 3/342)
PURICHAYA TEERAANUPHAN (#25 - FAH 3/342)
MANUSANUN PINYOSET (#27 - EANG 3/342)
After the outbreak of the novel coronavirus which quickly turned into a pandemic spreading swiftly all over
the world, the governments from every country announced a number of measures that would hopefully
slow down and stop this deadly pandemic. Looking at their different approaches, there are three prevalent
measures that the governments have considered when tackling this deadly virus; The need to lockdown,
the delicate balance between health and the economy, and how best to test and trace. All three of these
have been implemented by countries to achieve a best long-term solution to this novel coronavirus. In this
article we will take a look at how certain countries around the world have implemented these methods and
consider whether or not the various outcomes and lessons we can learn going forward.
LOCKDOWN
The first place to take a look at is Wuhan. Wuhan, the metapolis where the first corona case was detected,
was the first to impose a lockdown on 23 January 2020 in an attempt to limit the spread of the outbreak..
During that time, the lives of 57 million people were sealed off from the outside world. There was a closure
of public transit and transport was severely restricted. Non-essential companies and schools were shut
down. Millions of residents were grounded at home. Some Wuhan residents claimed that they’re not even
allowed to go outside to shop for groceries. Wuhan lockdown was referred to as “unprecedented” and “
new to science” by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Due to the strict measure, Wuhan by April was reporting new cases in single-digits compared with nearly
4,000 per day in February and ended its 76-day lockdown on April 8 2020, reopening its borders and re-
moving some travel restrictions. Healthy residents and visitors were allowed to leave Wuhan on trains or
flights. Shops reopened at the same time that public buses and subway systems re-starte.
The next two countries we will look at also enforced some of the world’s strictest lockdown measures com-
parable to Wuhan;namely, Italy and Spain. Let’s start off with Italy. Italy was the first European country to
put more than 60 million people under lockdown. The first lockdown in Italy began around 21 February
2020 in Lombardy, Northern Italy, the center of Italy’s coronavirus outbreak. The initial quarantined ‘red
zone’ over 50,000 people, a few weeks later, it was expanded to cover much of Northern Italy including
Milan. Finally, on 10 March, the government imposed restrictions over the entire country following the
fact that the number of new cases and deaths had overtaken China. Sixty million people were ordered
indoors and all non-essential movement was banned nationwide. Residents were only permitted to leave
their homes for essential supplies such as food and medicine. “Travel across the entire Italian peninsula
had to be justified by professional reasons,or for essential health reasons,” The Italian prime minister said.
Schools, Universities, bars, parks, restaurants and most shops in the nation would have to close and a 6
p.m. curfew already being enforced in the north of the country would be extended to the whole country.
Fines were introduced for those who violate the lockdown, and could be up to 3,000 euros. Police and the
army patrolling the streets were given extra powers.
25
\ EPTS GAZETTE
As a result of the lockdown, Italian hotels, travel companies, and restaurants were put under intense pres-
sure, the whole economy is almost certain to go into recession this year.
By early April more than 124,00 people in Italy had tested positive for COVID-19 since the outbreak began
and it had the highest coronavirus death toll in the world( which has since been overtaken by the USA.
Several weeks after the nationwide lockdown, the country seemed not to have made significant progress
as the number of cases are still rising, however the rate of infection has started to slow down. Provinces in
the North where the initial cases were diagnosed have shown a sustained decline in new infections. This is
strong evidence which gave the country hope that it would be able to arise from its lockdown. Italy extend-
ed its lockdown to at least mid-April and it may remain in place longer.
In Spain on 13 March 2020, Prime Minister announced a declaration of a nationwide ‘state of alarm,’ the
lowest of the three degrees of state of emergency for 15 days. Two days later, a national lockdown on 47 mil-
lion citizens was imposed in accordance with a sharp rise in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Drastic measures forced people to stay at home apart from a few exceptions such as buying food and
medicine, work or attending emergencies. Outdoor exercise was not permitted, unlike in many countries.
There was a temporary closure of non-essential businesses, including bars, restaurants, cafes, cinemas and
commercial and retail businesses while the government had the authority to take over private healthcare
providers if needed.
Up to mid April, Spain had close to 20,000 fatalities, the third most COVID-19 deaths and cases in the
world. Yet, there was a slowdown in the rate of infections giving an encouraging sign for the country to
consider lifting the lockdown. Government has allowed some people in occupations such as construction
and manufacturing to return to work, though there have been extended restrictions on movement across
Spain’s land borders with France and Portugal. Further restrictions are predicted to ease subsequently with
at least more 45 days in quarantine.
The third country we are going to look into is the United Kingdom. The lockdown in the UK started on
March 23(later than other countries in Europe) when prime minister Boris Johnson announced the limits
on where and how people could interact during the coronavirus crisis. The measures introduced for the
lockdown in the UK were similar to measures in Wuhan, Italy and Spain, but a lot less stringent with softer
penalties and less restrictions. In the UK, there were four reasons why people were permitted to leave home
unlike Italy and Spain. Those four reasons were shopping for food and other necessities, to exercise alone
or with someone from the same household, for medical issues, and to travel and from work. People have
been told to follow the social-distancing regulations and avoid all non-essential contact with others. More-
over, while most of the businesses in other countries in the lockdown were ordered to close down, people
identified as key workers; those who work in health and social areas like education, government, public
services, people providing food and other necessary goods, transportation services and utilities could still
go to work. All bars, pubs, cafes, restaurants, schools were ordered to close except parks which remained
open in some areas for exercise purposes.
To make the people follow the lockdown restrictions, police officers were given extra powers under the
lockdown. They could tell people to go home or leave the area and either arrest them, give them a fine or
even forcibly take them home if they were disobeying. The fines for violating the lockdown rules were set
at 60 pounds and would be reduced to 30 pounds if paid in 14 days. However these fines were light when
compared with countries like France. Where citizens could be fined up to 500 Euros and needed an official
document to be allowed out of the house.
South Korea on the other hand never imposed a curfew or lockdown.. Rather, the strict regulations were
imposed in some cities, for example, Daegu. Daegu was known as the outbreak center where the major
outbreak occurred with a cluster from a religious group. It was declared as ‘special care zones.’ People were
advised to stay indoors and adhered to social distancing as much as possible. Phone tracking through an
app was extensively used to make sure that affected individuals were isolating themselves.
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By the 10th April , new infection cases in Daegu which had exceeded 100 a day had dropped
to zero for the first time in 52 days.
The next country we will look at in terms of lockdown is the United States of America.
Having a federal government, means a nationwide lockdown is nearly impossible for Wash-
ington to impose as most states operate autonomously. Yet, most U.S. states have imposed
lockdown with different measures restricting gathering and social contact. California was
the first to issue citizens to avoid non essential outdoor activities in mid-March. Several oth-
er states such as Illinois, Indiana and Michigan have ordered businesses, schools, and work-
places to close and banned public gatherings. On the other hand, the less-affected states, for
instance, Mississippi have closed schools but have yet to impose any other restrictions. So
far, at least 24 states have ordered all residents to stay home and seven have announced the
closure of schools.
While most of Europe’s population were under lockdown, one country stood out in allow-
ing free movement within the country. Sweden’s chief epidemiologist, Anders Tegbell called
for a “low-scale” approach that “is much more sustainable” over a longer period. The “low-
scale” approaches included banning gatherings larger than 50 people, close high schools and
universities, urging the elderly to self-isolate while schools for younger children, restaurants
and most businesses were still allowed to open. Sweden has since started imposing much
stricter restrictions as its cases of coronavirus and deaths rose, with other Scandinavian
countries that moved to lock-down quicker like Denmark have fared much better.
THE BALANCE BETWEEN HEALTH
AND THE ECONOMY
Since the pandemic has started, it has been severely affecting the economy of every country
and continues to do so as the situation seems not to ease down easily. For example, not a
single residential real estate deal was made in Wuhan during its peak in February; for many
small businesses, the owners might not be able to rehire their workers right away and pay
for other expenses like equipment maintenance or pay rent due to the loss of income. As a
result, this led to an ongoing debate on whether governments should focus on the health
or the economy of the country. Interestingly, the western countries seem to care more about
restarting their economies than the countries in Asia such as China, Korea, India and Japan.
The Asia countries really put their effort into the health issues so that the curve would
flatten early and the number of cases would fall. For example, the Chinese government
declared many preventive measures and the Indian government locked down before there
were significant cases to protect their health systems . Many countries also provide a good
set of medications or even shut down their boundaries to make sure that the virus won’t
spread further and their citizens would be as safe as they could from the virus. For example,
Wuhan quickly shut down the whole city as soon as the outbreak happened and opened up all of the
hospitals so the patients can be fully treated.
27
\ EPTS GAZETTE
In contrast, The U.S. government thinks of the pandemic as often a secondary issue in the
country with a lot of attention being paid to the economic consequences of the pandemic.
President Trump has justified Covid-19 as “China Virus” and blamed the outbreak on foreign-
ers. Early on the government just recommended Americans to wash their hands and quaran-
tine themselves. Other countries like the UK have talked about herd immunity being allowed
to build up for when the second wave of the coronavirus hits, suggesting they see this as a long
term strategy to fight the pandemic meaning most of their citizens would be immune to the
disease and the economy could get back to some kind of normality.
In Thailand, the government has tried to balance between the economy and healthcare by pro-
viding subsidies for Thai citizen’s electricity and water bills which help to keep the nation’s
economy afloat. However, this financial help is very small in comparison to what European and
the U.S. governments have given out in financial aid, in hope that it will encourage citizens to
stay at home. For the healthcare side,Asian governments have had to be a lot more pro-active
because there are often no universal health care systems. Thailand declared many quarantine
rules and preventive measures such as restricted curfew hours for certain age groups and con-
trolled flight plans for the airlines. Many workers were also told to work from home if they
could. In Europe and the U.S. where workers have been unable to work from home the govern-
ments have set out economic aid packages that encourage these workers to be furloughed for
up to three months.
TEST, TRACK AND TRACE
Different countries have different approaches to testing, tracking and tracing CoronaVirus.
Some countries choose to test every suspicious person because they have enough Corona test-
ing kids. On the other hand, some countries were too slow to test and the Coronavirus spread
is now widespread throughout the community.
South Korea has been very successful in testing infected people. It has an idea about “Test
more=find more=spread less.” It was ranked first in the country that had carried out the most
tests for COVID-19. More than 20,000 citizens were tested every day through both private and
public laboratories and drive- through the center in the early days of the pandemic. Six hun-
dred testing centers were opened to detect people with the least contact as possible. Undoubt-
edly, this explains why the number of newly diagnosed cases rose sharply and subsequently
declined significantly in such a short period.
Singapore is another country that was outstanding in decreasing numbers of cases. It claims to
be the first country that used antibodies to track Coronavirus infections. Researchers around
the world are racing to develop antibody tests, also called serological tests, that can confirm
whether someone was infected even after their immune system has cleared the virus that caus-
es COVID-19. Singapore uses a “TraceTogether” app, which uses Bluetooth to track nearby
phones (without location tracking), keeps local logs of those contacts, and only uploads them
to the Ministry of Health when the user chooses/consents, presumably after diagnosis so that
those contacts can be alerted.
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Thailand is another country that has done a fairly good job of tracing. The number of infected people
continues to grow but not very fast, and also the number of recovered cases is continuously increas-
ing. The reason why the rate of infection has decreased is because of the government’s declaration
of preventive measures. Most of the cases first appeared in Bangkok, so the preventive measures at
first only covered Bangkok. Travel outside of Bangkok has been restricted, and department stores or
places that are crowded have been closed until further notice.
The USA was one example of a country that was slow in testing the Coronavirus, causing the
number of cases to rise very rapidly. It has since ramped up testing, but too late to track and
trace with any great effect.The United States still doesn’t have any strict universal instruc-
tions for their citizens to follow. Mostly, the government has just given recommendations.
Americans to wash their hands and quarantined themself, which is not enough to calm the
people down. With the number of people who have COVID-19 still rising very fast, it by
mid April had more deaths than any other country. On the other hand, Germany is a coun-
try that can test a vast number of people within a short period(around half of a million tests
a week). Moreover, Germany also has an application where doctors would be able to use the
system by getting permission from those who test positive and putting their information
into a central server to remind those people who are close to the patient that someone who
has tested positive is nearby.
The UK is also another country that was slow in testing leading to a massive
amount of people infected. It has wanted to test, but has been unable to procure
enough tests. It seems to have been caught in between the plan to test and an
alternative plan called “herd immunity or community immunity.” Herd immunity
happens when so many people in a community become immune to an infectious
disease that it stops the disease from spreading. This can happen in two ways:
Many people contract the disease and, in time, build up an immune response to
it (natural immunity). Many people are vaccinated against the virus to achieve
immunity.
After the outbreak of this new coronavirus had been declared as a pandemic, many coun-
tries around the world started to prepare their health systems to cope with this virus. Gov-
ernments in each country tried to prioritise decreasing the infection rate, maintaining
healthcare systems and managing the economy..
Different countries have had different ways to deal with the current pandemic. We still
don’t know which method will in the long run will prove to be the best. There are a lot of
factors which influence how and whether or not the country should implement certain
measures. For example, availability of resources, how critical the situation is, the size of the
population, the politics and culture of a country To flatten the curve, various countries be-
gin to quarantine, use social distancing measures, etc. because avoiding infection is a key
to ensuring that healthcare systems are able to cope with the virus during the outbreak.
Countries, like China, Germany and South Korea, have implemented differing measures
and done a great job in flattening the curve. Other than flattening the curve, many coun-
tries have had to increase the health system capacity to prepare for the increasing number
of patients by providing hospital beds, ventilators and oxygen for those who can no longer
breathe on their own.
29
\ EPTS GAZETTE
\ EPTS GAZETTE
Different countries have had different ways to deal with the current pandemic. We still don’t know
which method will in the long run will prove to be the best. There are a lot of factors which influence
how and whether or not the country should implement certain measures. For example, availability of
resources, how critical the situation is, the size of the population, the politics and culture of a country
To flatten the curve, various countries begin to quarantine, use social distancing measures, etc. because
avoiding infection is a key to ensuring that healthcare systems are able to cope with the virus during
the outbreak. Countries, like China, Germany and South Korea, have implemented differing measures
and done a great job in flattening the curve. Other than flattening the curve, many countries have had
to increase the health system capacity to prepare for the increasing number of patients by providing
hospital beds, ventilators and oxygen for those who can no longer breathe on their own.
Though some countries have successfully flattened the curve we have to keep in mind that imposing
the same measures to every country might not always give the same result due to political,social and
economic differences. There isn’t always one solution to the problem and statistics are not always that
accurate. For instance, the official death toll in some countries like England can appear less than the
actual one due to the fact that some people may have died at home before being tested.So, we need
to understand the fact that measures and implementation might not give us the entire picture until
long after the pandemic has passed.. Therefore, let’s not prejudge different government approaches to
COVID-19 until all the information has been collected, then we can judge how well these countries did
in fighting this pandemic..
COVID-19 is like a huge exam that the government from every country needs to find a solu-
tion for. Yet, we still do not know which solution would be the best to this problem. We believe
that every country is trying their best to stop this deadly virus. Hopefully, the situation would
be alleviated and everything would come back to normal again soon.
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https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/16/asia/coronavirus-xi-wuhan-anger-intl-hnk/index.html
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down/
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/24/how-strict-are-the-uks-distancing-rules-compared-with-other-countries
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follow-
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style-lockdowns-planned/2020/02/25/a0e90bf0-57b8-11ea-8efd-0f904bdd8057_story.html
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/09/why-even-cabinet-ministers-must-stay-home-in-lockdown
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down-its-covid-19-surge
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/coronavirus-south-korea-declares-new-special-care-zone-two-more-us-troops-
infected
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southkorea-toll/south-korea-declares-new-special-care-zone-as-
coronavirus-spreads-idUSKBN20S04O
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https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-state-by-state-guide-to-coronavirus-lockdowns-11584749351
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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52076293
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/virus-deaths-rise-sweden-sticks-low-scale-lockdown-70114439
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https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-04-13/as-virus-deaths-rise-sweden-sticks-to-low-scale-lockdown
https://www.vox.com/2020/4/7/21201260/coronavirus-usa-chart-mask-shortage-ventilators-flatten-the-curve
https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-which-countries-have-successfully-flattened-the-curve-11963177
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/lbsbusinessstrategyreview/2020/04/06/how-many-people-have-really-died-from-covid-
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31
\ EPTS GAZETTE
_______. (2020, 25 Mar.). [digital image]. UK researchers develop new low-cost, rapid COVID-19 test that
could even be used at home Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/25/uk-researchers-de 32
velop-new -low-cost-rapid-covid-19-test-that-could-even-be-used-at-home/ Web. 20 April 2020.
STUDENT'S MAGAZINE \
STUDENT'S MAGAZINE \
CORONA & CLASSES:
HOW COVID-19 AFFECTS EDUCATION
NAPAT CHUTIJIRAWONG (PAT) M.4/330 #7
ILLUSTRATED BY NAPAT CHUTIJIRAWONG (PAT) M.4/330 #7
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\ EPTS GAZETTE
The Coronavirus outbreak has changed each of our lives in many ways, but one of the most
drastic changes for students is the shift from studying in a classroom to online. As part of the
effort to contain the spread of the virus, schools all around the world are closing down. In fact,
these nationwide closures are impacting over 91% of the world’s student population, according
to UNESCO. Therefore, schools are forced to consider other alternatives, and online learning
has been the most popular.
Numerous schools and universities are continuing their classes on online platforms in two
different ways. The first way is done by using video chat applications so that teachers and stu-
dents are able to see each other. This is a live event where everyone in the class can interact. If
students have questions, they can ask the teacher directly and get immediate answers. Another
way that students are receiving an education is through distance education, which is the use
of online resources with educational material. This allows students to study on their own, as
opposed to making live conference calls with a teacher.
Many challenges are inevitable in this new form of education, with one of the most serious
challenges being the income restriction for some families. Several tools required for online
education, such as computers, are quite expensive and some families are unable to afford them.
Moreover, many regions in the world still don’t have access to the internet, so the students are
forced to miss out on their education until the situation gets better. This will likely cause the
educational equality gap to widen if access to education continues to be controlled by access to
technology.
Another difficult challenge is for the teachers and students to adapt their usual teaching and
learning style. Some teachers may not feel comfortable using the new technology, or they might
find it difficult to convert the activities that they already planned, such as group activities and
quizzes, into a form that can be done online. On the other hand, students who are not so good
at using technology might fall behind in their classes. Other students might find it difficult to
concentrate when they are not in the usual learning environment. In addition, there are many
minor problems, such as loud noises from the surroundings, that can disturb lessons online.
Although there are drawbacks to the rapid change in education, there are also many benefits.
For example, this is a perfect time for you to try out online courses, if you haven’t already, and
see if you like it or not. Who knows? You might find out that you enjoy it, or that you learn
better in your own environment. This may help you to decide whether or not you should take
more online courses in the future, since they are much cheaper and can be done from long
distances. In light of the pandemic, many new online resources have popped up all over the
internet. Companies are providing free online courses to encourage students to continue learn-
ing at home. Many websites, such as “Unesco” and “Openculture”, have also created lists of free
online courses for anyone who is interested. Even top universities like Harvard are offering free
online courses for students all around the world, including us (through https://online-learning.
harvard.edu/catalog). If you are not sure what job you want, or what you should major in, these
online courses can give you the opportunity to try learning different things in order to find out
what you like.
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Another advantage of the current situation is that the educational system is pushed to change,
which can lead to surprising innovations. The sluggish modernization of the education system,
with the old lecture-based approaches and old-fashioned classrooms, is suddenly forced to develop
rapidly in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Interactive learning applications are receiving
more attention, learning material is being broadcast through live television, and every school as-
signment is being submitted online. According to the World Economic Forum, students at a school
in Lebanon are even submitting their assignments for physical education online by shooting videos
of their athletic training and sending them to the teachers. These situations are pushing students to
improve their digital skills, which can be very useful to them in the future. By the time this pan-
demic blows over, both the teachers and students will be more used to having classes on the online
platform. The students might choose to take more online courses, while the teachers might consid-
er integrating more online resources into their classes once they find out how helpful the resources
can be. Right now, the educational system and the technology are still improving and innovating
in an effort to cope with the pandemic, so who knows what could happen? There might be better
educational websites, or cooler video call applications, or even virtual reality learning experiences
that can be developed as solutions to education problems during this difficult time.
Fortunately for Thailand, the COVID-19 pandemic has not affected education as much as
other countries because most schools in Thailand are currently closed for summer break.
However, that is not to say that we are not affected. The government has already an-
nounced that schools will be opened on the 1st of July instead of in May. According to The
Standard, the purpose of this postponement is to prevent the spread of the coronavirus
as well as to prepare for online education if a vaccine is not invented in time. In addition,
school admissions and standardized testing, such as the SAT and Cambridge International
Examinations, are being delayed. For students who are planning to go to college in the US,
a growing list of colleges have announced that the SAT or ACT is optional and will not be
required for admission for the class of 2021. According to the National Center for Fair and
Open Testing, about 1,000 U.S. colleges have already dropped the standardized tests from
admissions requirements, including top universities like University of California, Uni-
versity of Washington, and Tufts University. For Thai students who are studying abroad,
this pandemic has greatly affected them by forcing them to come back to Thailand. How-
ever, the process of coming back itself is very difficult. They need health certificates from
doctors and also confirmation letters from the embassy, which can be hard to obtain. For
normal Thai students enjoying their summer break, they are also affected by being unable
to participate in educational programs such as summer camps, as a result of social distanc-
ing. For instance, the M.1 students of EPTS don’t get to go to the summer camp in Canada
as they normally should. The orientation camp for new PDS M.1 students is also canceled.
They won’t get a chance to make friends or become more familiar with the teachers and
the school in general, which can make it difficult for them to adapt to the new environ-
ment when the school finally opens. If a vaccine is still not invented by then, online educa-
tion will likely be necessary. However, many questions still need to be answered. For exam-
ple, will the tuition fee go down? This is already a problem for Thai university students,
who are demanding their universities to lower their tuition fees with the popular hashtag
“#คืนค่าเทอมให้นักศึกษา” (return tuition fees to students) on Twitter. After all, we won’t have to
use the school’s facility or have school lunch. Another question is, will we have to wear our
uniforms during online classes? I know that this might sound like a dumb question.
35
\ EPTS GAZETTE
Some of you might think, “Who cares what we wear. We are in our own houses, not the school”.
Still, I think what we wear will be important, especially in our school where the dress code is
quite strict. We definitely can’t just wear anything we want while using video calls, since some
clothes might be considered inappropriate. Then there is the main question: Can we effective-
ly learn from online classes? Trying to convert the lesson itself to an online platform will, no
doubt, be a big challenge for the teacher, but some students may also find it to be a challenging
method of studying. All in all, however, I don’t think this will be as much of a challenge for us
EPTS students and teachers who have always used the online platform as a significant part of
our classes.
The coronavirus has affected, and will affect, the educational system in a lot of ways. This
change occurs so fast that we might not be prepared for it. Nevertheless, we have to deal with it.
The shift to online education may be for better or for worse, but the most important thing right
now is we have to accept it and try our best to adapt to this new system; as our school slogan
suggests, “Self-adjustment is the most important element of a successful life”.
REFERENCES
https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/3-ways-coronavirus-is-reshaping-education-and-
what-changes-might-be-here-to-stay/
https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/impact-of-coronavirus-on-education/
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/technology/china-schools-coronavirus.html
https://www.bangkokbiznews.com/news/detail/872053
https://thestandard.co/covid-19-school-closures-impact/
https://brandinside.asia/%E0%B9%89how-covid-19-transform-education-system/
https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/01/825304555/colleges-go-
test-optional-after-sat-act-are-called-off
https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/uc-eases-admissions-require-
ments-help-students-families-wake-covid-19
https://brandinside.asia/student-request-tuition-fee-from-university/
https://www.matichon.co.th/columnists/news_2128015
https://www.chronicle.com/article/Covid-19-Prompts-College-Board/248537
https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/news/news-details/view/update-from-cambridge-
international-on-may-june-2020-exams-20200323/
http://www.openculture.com/freeonlinecourses
https://online-learning.harvard.edu/catalog
_______. (2020, 15 Apr.). [digital image]. COVID-19 Educational Disruption and Response
Retrieved from http://www.iiep.unesco.org/en/covid-19-educational-disruption-and-re 36
sponse-13363 Web. 30 April 2020.
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