Don't take risks with bronchitis this winter, warns PHM

"It's recommended to keep your body warm and exercise regularly. The symptoms including high fever, severe cough and chest pain could be an alarm bell and one should rush to see a doctor," Dr Prat Boonyavongvirot, permanent secretary of the ministry, said in Chiang Mai yesterday.

Almost 43,200 people nationwide suffered from bronchitis last winter, with the Northeast the hardest hit, he said. Around 14,000 patients were from that region.

The vulnerable groups are the elderly, young children, chain smokers and HIV/Aids patients.

Prat distributed blankets and sweaters to residents to cope with the cold. During the dry and cold season, the epidemic could be fatal and the ministry advised local people to protect themselves by avoiding saliva, shared items with patients and coughs and sneezes.

Bronchitis is still the major cause of fatalities in children younger than five.

According to the Bureau of Epidemiology, last year 142,250 people caught bronchitis, with 1,043 dying it.

The disease is severe during the winter from November to February. Fatalities in the Northeast were the highest with 35 deaths from 14,683 patients. January - the coldest month - had the highest number of patients.

Patients experience high fever, coughing, chest pain and wheezing, Prat said. Bronchitis usually follows a few days after a cold. The disease is considered life threatening if not cured earlyand can lead to other lung diseases.

In Chiang Mai alone, over 2,000 people caught the disease last year and four failed to survive. This year, the ministry reported 858 bronchitis victims.

Heavy smokers and HIV/Aids patients should pay special attention to their health, as they are the groups that can come down with the disease more than once a year, he added.