Thailand urges couples to get tested for Covid before Valentine’s Day sex

‘Catching Covid-19 is possible through close-contact breathing and exchanging saliva’

People take photographs of a screen wishing a happy Valentine’s day, in Bangkok on 14 February 2021 (AFP via Getty Images)

Thailand’s health authorities have advised couples to get tested for Covid, mask up, and practice safe sex ahead of Valentine’s Day.

The recommendations came from Thailand’s department of disease control, which suggested that couples undergo a rapid antigen Covid-19 test before romantic dates.

"Covid-19 isn’t a sexually transmitted disease,” Bureau of Reproductive Health director Bunyarit Sukrat told AFP on Friday adding that “catching Covid-19 is possible through close-contact breathing and exchanging saliva."

In August last year, the Department of Health released Covid “safe sex” advisory, which also included finding a position that is not “face-to-face” as well as avoiding saliva and other secretions.

The recommendations were made in the view that there were not enough vaccines back then, Dr Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoen, who is the director-general of the department of health, told the Bangkok Post.

He added, that since then the situation has changed with the country’s vaccination drive, so Covid testing should be enough for fully inoculated individuals.

The other advisory includes using Covid-19 tracking app to check if the restaurant they made a reservation at is safe, reported the outlet.

The authorities also advised those going out on Valentine’s Day to wear masks and maintain social distancing at home, especially around the elderly and those with chronic disease, to reduce the potential spread of infection.