The 12 soccer teammates and their coach who were trapped in a flooded Thai cave for more than two weeks are now all being closely monitored in hospital.

The boys, who ranged in age from 11 to 16, emerged in relatively good shape, but still face possible health issues, reports ABC news. 

What condition were the boys in?

The first eight boys to be rescued came in with low body temperatures and were provided with heaters, Thai doctors said yesterday.

One had a low heart rate, and one had a scratch on his right ankle. Doctors suspected two had lung infections — probably pneumonia — based on irregular X-rays.

Doctors have said the boys were being kept quarantined. Parents were allowed to see them through a glass isolation barrier and talk to them via hospital phones.

It could be at least seven days before they can be released from hospital, said Jedsada Chokdumrongsuk, permanent secretary at the Public Health Ministry.

Why are they being quarantined?

The boys were malnourished and weak, and doctors are worried they could be susceptible to germs spread by family members or other visitors, said W Ian Lipkin, a Columbia University infectious diseases expert.

But it’s also possible they are infection risks to others. Thai doctors said they don’t know what type of unusual illnesses the boys may have picked up in the cave.

“We have never experienced this kind of issue from a deep cave,” and doctors are running a battery of tests on the boys, Mr Jedsada said.

Ongoing concerns

One of the Thai doctors said the boys were happy but psychologists would be evaluating them.

The guided escape was stressful, and Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said the boys were given an anti-anxiety medication to help calm their nerves.

People who endure such an intense and dangerous event can go on to suffer lasting anxiety, depression and other symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Thailand’s Department of Mental Health said hospitals were working with the families to help the boys mentally recover, including by not digging for details about what they endured.

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