Background Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. An outbreak is called an epidemic when there is a sudden increase in cases. Many countries have experienced a two-wave pattern in the reported cases of COVID-19. The spread of COVID-19 in Thailand was a cluster event distributed over multiple locations. This study aims to compare the characteristics of different waves during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted from January 2020 to May 2021 (17 months) to determine the number of COVID-19 screenings and confirmed cases and deaths as well as sociodemographic characteristics such as gender, age, nationality, and source population at risk factors. The categorical data were compared using a chi-square test. Results Three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic occurred within 17 months in Thailand, and the number of cases increased by over 100,000 due to source population at risk factors such as close contact with a previously confirmed patient, community risk, cluster communities, and active and community surveillance. The chi-square test revealed significant differences between the three waves ( p < 0.01). Conclusion Significant differences between pandemic phases or waves may be due to weak social distancing policies and the lack of public health interventions. A COVID-19 vaccination plan is needed for people at risk of suffering severe symptoms and the general population in outbreak areas to increase immunity.
【초록키워드】 COVID-19, coronavirus, pandemic, Risk factors, Immunity, social distancing, COVID-19 pandemic, Gender, risk, Infectious disease, risk factor, Screening, Epidemic, Characteristics, COVID-19 vaccination, Surveillance, outbreak, Patient, death, Community, Cluster, Public health interventions, age, General population, disease, close contact, chi-square test, Sociodemographic characteristics, confirmed case, retrospective cohort study, significant difference, categorical data, country, spread of COVID-19, Result, lack, occurred, caused, reported, conducted, determine, increase in, Significant, severe symptom, 【제목키워드】 COVID-19, Wave,