Freshmen activities spread flu at Udon Thani university
Strict quarantine was in effect after more than 130 freshmen of Udon Thani Rajabhat University were infected with influenza after freshmen welcoming activities.
A field hospital was been set up by Udon Thani Provincial Health Office and Udon Thani Hospital in a female dorm at Udon Thani Rajabhat University. The field hospital has quarantined the most ill patients and is monitoring their condition after 134 freshmen came down with flu symptoms.
It was reportedly that the sick students suffered fever, sore throats, and headaches. Three students were in serious condition and were transferred to Udon Thani Hospital for treatment. Doctors subsequently kept those with moderate symptoms at the field hospital, with the rest ordered to rest in their dorm rooms.
Head of Udon Thani Provincial Health Office, Dr Smiths Prasannakan, said an investigation found that all of the sick students had attended freshmen welcoming activities, which included eating and drinking together.
Smiths attributed the socializing as the primary cause for the widespread infection.
Smiths said that the medical team has gathered 25 samples from the patients for examination at Udon Thani Medical Science Centre to determine the strain of this flu.
He also suggested the university stops freshmen welcoming activities and other group activities and closely monitors the patients for 15 days in order to prevent further infection.
According to statistics, Thailand this year had 43,082 documented flu patients as of July 20, and the infection rate is 65.85 patients per 100,000 populations. Flu has caused five deaths so far in 2017. Udon Thani has had 307 flu patients this year.
