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TEN people are being kept in hospital on Phuket with suspected swine flu and another patient is in intensive care with a confirmed dose.
Vachira Phuket Hospital has set up an outdoors emergency centre open from 8.30am to 10pm to deal with potential cases of the H1N1 flu, or normal seasonal flu.
The large outdoor centre, under salas in front of the hospital entrance in Yaowarat Road in Phuket City, has been attracting scores of islanders concerned about their health.
Most people who arrive at the hospital and request a check are quickly provided with a face mask.
So far Phuket has had one confirmed death from H1N1, a 19-year-old student. That fatality led to the closure of Prince of Songkla University campus for 14 days and the cleansing of 1500 dormitories.
The Director of Vachira Phuket Hospital, Dr Jessada Chungpaibulpatana, said that there was no need to panic on the island, but people who thought they had the virus should seek help.
''We are there and ready if someone needs us,'' he said. ''People should come if they think there's the slightest chance they are sick with the virus.''
The hospital has added 20 beds in an isolation ward to deal with suspected cases of H1N1.
The virus has a low fatality rate and is expected to be contracted in coming months by millions of people around the world.
Based on what's been learned about the virus so far, pregnant women and people with a pre-existing condition may need to be more cautious.
Avoiding large public gatherings reduces the risk.
Although the death toll in Thailand continues to rise, it remains a low proportion of those who contract H1N1.
Many people who catch the virus recover within a few days, sometimes without needing medication.
Because the virus is now a worldwide pandemic, the number of people who are contracting the disease is growing rapidly, which accounts for the alarm generated by a relatively few fatalities.
Studies show the virus causes more lung damage than seasonal flu, yet still responds to antiviral drugs.
In Australia, where new cases are running at a much higher rate than in Thailand, a doctor said: ''Most people in intensive care units have pre-existing medical conditions and it is only a small number who don't.
''So far all of those who have died have had medical conditions.''
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