BANGKOK--"If you have a fever, 37.5 or over, you need to immediately see a doctor," croons a Thai teacher cosplaying as Batman, in a music video aimed at raising awareness about the new coronavirus and how to guard against it.
Thailand has reported more than 200 cases of the new coronavirus so far, with daily numbers now in double digits, raising fears of greater local transmission. So in a catchy Thai country music tune, Worrawut Lakchai, a 41-year-old high school teacher in rural Udon Thani province, reminds his community to monitor their body temperature, wear masks and wash their hands.
"As a teacher, I wanted to create awareness for students, their parents and the community. So I thought of making music to fight the coronavirus," says Worrawut, whose version of Batman wears a traditional Thai loincloth instead of the superhero's black trunks, while dancing in the middle of a burning rice field.
While he says he was first inspired to wear the Batman costume because the coronavirus had been rumoured to have come from bats, he quickly drew a more important parallel. "Batman is a superhero who doesn't have any magical powers but he can fight his enemies with his own strength ... Similarly, we have to fight a deadly disease with our strength and awareness," he says.
The video - which involves young students, farmers and the elderly dancing at various locations to keep fit to ward off diseases - has been commended as a creative way to remind people how to fight the virus at a time of high stress. "Eat hot food, use serving spoons, wash your hands," sings Worrawut. "It's what we must do, to fight corona."
