Man with coronavirus spits at stranger as they wait for train, throws up and drops dead moments later
A man infected with the novel coronavirus was found dead inside a train’s carriage on March 30 after he spat at another man as they queued to buy train tickets in Thailand.
What was more shocking was that Anan Sahoh, 56, was found lying on the floor of the passenger train after he was earlier seen "coughing and vomiting" during the journey.
Sahoh came into the sight of the authorities when a CCTV camera footage at the station in Bangkok showed him spitting at a man who was buying tickets from a vending machine. The 56-year-old man, who was seen walking with the help of a crutch, was traveling from Bangkok to Narathiwat after recently returning from Pakistan.
During the time of the incident, he was at Bangkok's Bang Sue Station, where he spat at the unknown passenger, before boarding the train on which he was subsequently found dead. According to reports, Sahoh also went through temperature checks at the station, which had reportedly shown a normal figure of 96.8F (36C), raising no alarms.
However, later after boarding the train, he developed a cough and started vomiting. Train staff also took a picture of him and his ID card. But his condition had improved by the time the train reached Hua Hin railway station. He also went through another temperature check and that also showed a normal figure.
Though officials advised him to take a rest at Hua Hin, he insisted on continuing his journey. However, later in the night, at around 10 pm, Sahoh, who was also a diabetes patient, was found lying in front of a toilet when the train reached the Thap Sakae district. Health professionals then performed tests on him which showed a positive result for COVID-19.
Soon after his death, passengers from the carriage in which he was traveling were evacuated. The carriage was also disconnected from the rest of the train and disinfected by workers wearing protective suits.
Now the authorities are desperately trying to trace the man at whom Sahoh spat at to stop him from further spreading the deadly disease. “We are now worried about a man that was spat at in the security camera footage. We coordinated initially with the railway police but they have not found him yet. We want to announce that if anyone knows him or if he has heard about the news, then he should please go to the hospital immediately,” said the director of the State Railway of Thailand, Thakoon Intrachom.
Railway officials have sent a list of 15 passengers who were traveling in the same coach with Sahoh to the public health office. Along with them, 11 others have also been quarantined, including two train station staff from Bang Sue railway Station, a security guard, seven railway workers, and a railway police officer.
Reports also stated that it was not clear when Sahoh, who was a native of the country's deep south, arrived in Thailand. However, he was carrying a "fit to fly" health certificate issued by a doctor in Pakistan on March 26. The man was also not deemed as a health risk by thermal scans or temperature checks at the airport.
In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the Southeast Asian country has barred entry into the kingdom except for diplomats and its citizens. A state of emergency that took effect last week also states that anyone arriving in the country must have a health certificate and spend 14 days in self-quarantine.
As of April 2, the number of positive coronavirus cases in the country has reached 1,875 while the death toll is 15.