No hugs for rescued boys as disease risk monitored
GAVIN FERNANDO THE rescued team is in a quarantined hospital ward in northern Thailand to undergo rigorous medical testing.
The focus will be on assessing the physical and mental health of the boys and their coach.
They will undergo examinations of their eyes, nutrition levels and psychological state. Blood samples will be used to screen for potential infections.
Each footballer was placed in isolation behind a glass wall at the hospital and was not allowed to hug or touch his parents.
There were fears the trapped footballers may have developed pneumonia, leptospirosis – a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals – and melioidosis, a potentially fatal disease found in contaminated soil. It’s also likely they will be tested for hypothermia.
In a media conference at Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital yesterday afternoon, a health official said the first eight rescued boys had ailments including fevers, mild coughs and low heart rates, and at least two may have contracted a lung infection known as “cave disease”.
“There are all kinds of diseases in the cave, from bats, from dirty water. Everything in there is very dirty,” an emergency services worker told Reuters.
Cave disease is typically tested through samples of urine, blood and tissues. It is treated with antifungal medication.
Psychologists have deemed them in a good mental state, but there were reports the boys were not allowed to watch TV, at least until the entire team had been safely rescued.
Dr Jesada Chokedamrongsuk, from the Ministry of Public Health and Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital, said the boys would remain in hospital for another week or so.
“Because the kids are still young, they are very resilient. They can talk normally, everybody CALL 13 19 01 OR VISIT DEFENCEJOBS.GOV.AU is joyful and very glad to come out,” he said.
“They’re hungry a lot and want to eat a variety of food, but at this stage we’ve given food that is easily digested and bland. They can sit up and eat, but there are no worrying conditions.
“They asked for bread with chocolate, which we think is OK.”
The best news is that they appear to have made it through the ordeal largely unscathed.
“The kids are footballers so they have high immune systems,” Mr Jesada said. “We have to wait for microbiological results from the lab. Their immune systems are weakened so it’s best they stay in hospital.”
FIFA invited the boys to the World Cup final on Sunday, but were informed “that due to medical reasons, the boys will not be in a position to travel to Moscow”.
So FIFA and some soccer clubs have made other offers once all are fit to travel.