61 trainees under the federal Khidmat Negara (National Service) program based at the Dusun Minda Resort in Kuala Nerang, Kedah have come down with Influenza-like symptoms. This includes the four trainees who tested positive for the H1N1 virus on Sunday.
All 61 trainees have displayed symptoms such as fever, flu, cough and sore throat.
National Service director Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil assured parents that there was no cause for concern as “medical team has everything under control and the trainees are safe”, The Star Online reports.
“All of the affected trainees are in an upbeat mood and our camp’s medical team together with those from the district Health Department are monitoring their situation closely,” he said during a visit to the camp yesterday. He added that the cause of the viral outbreak was still unknown.
Abdul Hadi clarified that the sick trainees were not under quarantined, but merely “separated from the other healthy trainees”.
“The affected trainees are separated and placed in dorms within the camp that are about 200m away from the other trainees.”
He said the camp would be closed for a four-day semester break from May 30 and the state Health Department medical officers would assess the affected trainees before deciding if they would be allowed to go home.
“Classroom activities for the healthy trainees will carry on as usual but physical activities will be limited to prevent the trainees from falling sick.”
