Olivia Parkins, 18, a member of Kent University’s cheerleading society, said three people in the group are hospitalised with confirmed cases of meningitis
Three people hospitalised with meningitis are said to be members of a university cheerleading society.
Olivia Parkins, 18, a member of the University of Kent’s cheerleading society, told the Press Association that three people in the group are currently hospitalised with confirmed cases of the disease.
It comes amid an outbreak linked to Club Chemistry, a nightclub in Canterbury, that has claimed the lives of a University of Kent student and a sixth-form pupil in nearby Faversham. The total number of confirmed or suspected cases has risen to 27, up from 20 reported by health officials on Wednesday.
Olivia, a classical civilisations student, was on campus on Thursday morning queuing for a vaccine. She told PA: “I know quite a lot of people who are in hospital with it – a lot of people from the cheerleading society which I’m part of… I also live in the block where the outbreak happened. It was one of the two blocks that had to come in to get antibiotics.”
Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.
The 18-year-old said she was at her home in Bromley when she learned about the outbreak. She said she has been in touch with the affected individuals, adding: “So far they’re OK.” The student praised the “good communication” surrounding the response to the outbreak.
After receiving the vaccine, Paris Summer, 22, a psychology student from Twickenham, said students should have been informed about the outbreak earlier.
She said: “They just don’t really seem very prepared. I feel like, surely, they knew before someone actually ended up passing away. I feel like we could have found out a lot sooner.”
Aarohi Gupta, 21, an economics student from High Wycombe, said: “It was very scary, very worrying. Obviously, we didn’t really know what to do. And the uni hadn’t really told us much. So, I think that was extra concerning. We found out when the rest of the public did.”
Tumi, 20, a computer science student at the University of Kent, decided against returning home to prevent the spread of the infection.
The student, who chose not to disclose her surname, said: “Because I think if everyone leaves you kind of, if you’re carrying it, you don’t know, then you take it to your hometown. I just don’t think it’s quite safe, so I’ve just decided to stay here.”
Health officials said the number of meningitis cases in Kent has risen to 27. As of 5pm on Wednesday, the UK Health Security Agency said 15 cases had been confirmed and a further 12 were under investigation. Nine of the 15 confirmed cases are of the meningitis B strain.
