Death toll on the rise

Thailand's type-A (H1N1) influenza death toll has risen to 12, with 2,714 other cases certified - among them a 63-year-old female patient admitted to Samut Prakan Hospital yesterday with high fever, who went into shock and is now in a coma.

The Bang Sao Thong resident's condition is critical, because she has a history of chronic illness, including heart disease, said hospital director Chalit Thongprayoon.

The province's most severe case, she is hooked up to a respirator while staff await samples sent to the Medical Science Department's lab.

Many private hospitals in Samut Prakan have had flu patients seeking treatment, but determining whether they have the new flu depends on lab confirmation costing from Bt4,000 to Bt5,000 a case, a source reported yesterday.

Many schools have been closed for cleaning after students came down with conventional flu. The Bang Pu Industrial Estate has reported workers with flu and some factories have installed thermal scanners to prevent workers or visitors with high body temperatures from entering workplaces, the source reported.

In Chiang Mai, where 50 type-A (H1N1) flu patients have been reported, a 26-year-old man died of acute pneumonia, and doctors believe he was infected with the virus, said Chiang Mai's chief public-health officer.

Dr Wattana Kanchanakamol said the man died only two hours after being admitted to a private hospital, and tests to confirm the virus are under way.

In Phuket, 37 new flu patients have been reported. Provincial public-health chief Dr Pongsawat Rattanasaeng said three had been in direct contact with freshmen from Prince of Songkhla University who were infected with the new virus last week and were under surveillance.

Deputy university rector Methee Sanpanich announced a two-day closure for the institute from yesterday, to clean the 1,500 student-dormitory rooms.

Department of Medical Services chief Rewat Wisarutvej yesterday visited a male patient, 45, unconscious at Ayutthaya's Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Hospital.

He said the Bangkok man, who weighed 103 kilograms and suffered chronic illness, including heart disease and a deteriorated kidney, had been visiting relatives in the province. He developed a high fever and was unable to breathe on his own. The hospital suspects he may have type-A (H1N1) flu and has submitted his samples for testing.