Tyra Skinner, a 20-year-old student at Canterbury Christ Church University, was rushed into critical care at William Harvey Hospital after developing meningitis symptoms including a pounding headache, stiff neck and excruciating pain. Her father, Dale Skinner, described seeing her in a foetal position, 'so cramped up and sore'. She had visited Club Chemistry in Canterbury ten days before her admission on Monday.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported on Friday that there have been 29 confirmed or suspected cases of meningitis linked to the nightclub, with 13 of 18 confirmed cases caused by the meningitis B strain. All 29 required hospital admission. Over 9,800 courses of antibiotics and 2,360 vaccines have been administered to eligible people in Kent, and a case has now been reported in London.
Prof Dr Anjan Ghosh, director of public health at Kent County Council, said all known patients had a history linked to Club Chemistry, which saw an estimated 4,800 attendees on 5, 6 or 7 March. He cited close contact, sharing vapes and drinks, and intimacy as factors contributing to the spread. Chelsea Abbott, a 19-year-old college student who visited the club on 5 and 12 March, described a culture of sharing vapes and drinks, and kissing, making it 'a very easy place for bacteria to spread'.
Two young people have died: 18-year-old Juliette Kenny, a sixth-form pupil at Queen Elizabeth's grammar school in Faversham, and an unnamed University of Kent student. The UKHSA was notified of the first case on 13 March and began contact tracing, issuing a public health alert two days later. Club owner Louise Jones-Roberts said she was initially 'dumbfounded' but stressed the need to inform people of symptoms.
Many students had travelled home for Mother's Day before the outbreak was publicised. Kishan Mistri, a 20-year-old University of Kent law student, first learned of the infections via a BBC story on Sunday evening, after noticing ambulances outside a campus fast-food outlet. The outbreak has been described by some as 'scarier than Covid' due to the severity of symptoms.
