Chiang Rai, Thailand (CNN) Wearing hospital masks and gowns, and waving to family members through protective glass, the freed Thai soccer players were finally able to have a reunion, of sorts.

In video shown at a press briefing, some of the parents were in tears as they looked through the glass. The family members were not allowed to enter the room where they are being treated, in order to avoid infection, Dr Chaiyawej Thanapaisarn said.

The doctor said three of the boys were being treated for minor cases of pneumonia, but predicted most would be discharged after about a week.

"The recovery process should take around 30 days after they are discharged," he added.

Speaking to CNN after he left the hospital, Tanawat Viboonrungruang, the father of 11-year-old Titun, said he felt relieved to see his son was "still healthy."

Seeing his son through the glass, he said he only wanted to hug him.

"I started to cry, everybody started to cry," he said. "I want to say thanks to those who rescued my boy. And helped him to have a new life, it's like a rebirth."

The rescued Thai boys, in a video grab, shown in their hospital beds.

Weight dropped while in cave

Speaking earlier Wednesday, health ministry inspector Tongchai Lertvirairatanapong said the boys were in "good condition," despite each losing an average of two kilograms (4.4 pounds) in weight during their time in the cave.

He attributed their relative good health to their coach, 25-year-old Ekkapol Ake Chantawong , a former monk who was the last person out. "I have to praise the coach who took care of the footballers very well," Lertvirairatanapong said.

Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave The rescued team attends a news conference in Chiang Rai, Thailand, after being discharged from the hospital on Wednesday, July 18. Hide Caption 1 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Members of the soccer team greet well-wishers as they arrive for the news conference on July 18. Hide Caption 2 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave The team poses with a sketched portrait of Saman Kunan, a former Thai Navy SEAL who died on July 6 while returning from an operation to deliver oxygen tanks to the cave. He ran out of air while underwater, an official said. Hide Caption 3 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Thai Navy SEALs pose for a photo after the rescue effort was finished on July 10. One of them was a doctor who stayed with the team for a week after the group was found alive on July 2. Hide Caption 4 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Rescuers carry one of the boys out of the cave. Hide Caption 5 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Divers wave through floodwaters in the cave. Each rescue took multiple hours. Hide Caption 6 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Chiang Rai Governor Narongsak Osotthanakorn speaks during a news conference held after the rescue was finished on July 10. Hide Caption 7 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave A helicopter transports rescued boys to the hospital on July 10. Hide Caption 8 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave People watch and cheer as a helicopter flies toward an airstrip to transport one of the rescued boys to a hospital. Four boys were rescued on July 8, another four were rescued on July 9, and the rest were rescued on July 10. Hide Caption 9 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Rescue workers leave after all members of the team had been saved. Hide Caption 10 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave This photo tweeted by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk shows rescue efforts during the three-day mission. Musk tweeted early July 10 that he had visited the cave and left a mini-submarine there for future use. Hide Caption 11 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Members of the Royal Thai Navy are pictured with the team inside the cave. Hide Caption 12 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave The boys received medical attention after being found alive on July 2. Hide Caption 13 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave An ambulance believed to be carrying one of the rescued boys heads to the hospital on July 10. Hide Caption 14 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Rescuers walk toward the entrance of the cave as rescue operations resumed on July 10. Hide Caption 15 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Hospital staff and a police officer are seen during a news conference that was held on July 10. The eight boys that had been rescued on July 8 and 9 were being treated in an isolation ward in a Chiang Rai hospital. Hide Caption 16 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Thai police and military officers use umbrellas to shield a rescued boy before he was transported to a hospital on July 9. Hide Caption 17 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave An ambulance exits the cave area on July 9. Hide Caption 18 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Emergency responders surround a helicopter on July 8. Hide Caption 19 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Rescue teams arrange a water-pumping system at the cave's entrance on July 7. Hide Caption 20 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Ambulances wait outside a hospital where the rescued boys were treated. Hide Caption 21 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Thai military personnel walk into a cave during rescue operations. Hide Caption 22 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Military personnel work inside a cave. Hide Caption 23 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave An ambulance leaves the scene of the rescue effort on July 8. Hide Caption 24 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave This undated photo, released via the Thailand Navy SEAL Facebook page, shows rescuers with their hands locked. The caption said, "We Thai and the international teams join forces to bring the young Wild Boars home." The Wild Boars is the name of the soccer team the boys play on. Hide Caption 25 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Family members pray in front of a Buddhist statue near the cave on July 8. Hide Caption 26 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Emergency workers carry oxygen tanks as rescue operations begin. Hide Caption 27 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Thai soldiers work to connect pipes that help water from entering a cave. Hide Caption 28 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Thai forest rangers examine a map as they review their rescue options on July 8. Hide Caption 29 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave This image, taken from video on July 2, shows the team trapped inside the cave. That was the day divers found them alive. Hide Caption 30 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Divers were able to bring food, blankets and other supplies to the boys while experts determined the best way to get them out safely. The team was found around two kilometers (1.24 miles) into the cave and somewhere between 800 meters to one kilometer below the surface, according to a British Cave Rescue Council briefing note. Hide Caption 31 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave The team was found alive by British divers. The search brought rescue teams from all over the world. Hide Caption 32 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave A Thai military medic provides first aid to one of the boys. Hide Caption 33 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave The body of Saman Kunan, a former Thai Navy SEAL, is carried during a repatriation and religious rites ceremony on July 6. Kunan died Friday as he returned from an operation to deliver oxygen tanks to the cave. He ran out of air while underwater, an official said. Hide Caption 34 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Thai police take a break for breakfast as rescue operations continue on July 4. Hide Caption 35 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Water is pumped out of the cave on July 3. Hide Caption 36 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Workers fix the road leading to the cave on July 3. Hide Caption 37 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Divers prepare a light to be used for the underwater search on July 2. Hide Caption 38 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Rescue workers wait at the entrance to the cave on July 2. Hide Caption 39 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Some of the team's family members celebrate after receiving news that the team was alive. Hide Caption 40 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Technicians lift water pumps to the drilling site on July 1. Hide Caption 41 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Soldiers and rescuers work outside the cave complex on July 1. Hide Caption 42 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Monks attend a Buddhist prayer for the team on July 1. Hide Caption 43 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Scuba tanks are delivered to the search site on July 1. Hide Caption 44 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Rescue workers carry water-pumping equipment into the cave on July 1. Hide Caption 45 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave A Thai Air Force worker drops near a possible cave opening on June 30. Hide Caption 46 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave British cave diver Robert Charles Harper explores an opening on June 29. Hide Caption 47 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Relatives of the trapped team members pray on June 27. Hide Caption 48 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Family members waited more than a week for news of their loved ones. Hide Caption 49 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Thai soldiers bring hoses and additional water pumps as the search for the team continued on June 27. Hide Caption 50 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Volunteer paramedics wait near the cave entrance on June 27. Hide Caption 51 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave A rescuer looks for a cave entrance on June 27. Hide Caption 52 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Rescuers search the cave on June 26. Hide Caption 53 of 54 Photos: Photos: Thai soccer team rescued from cave Thai soldiers relay cable at the search site on June 26. Hide Caption 54 of 54

He said the children hadn't eaten any food in the nine days before they were found, and drank murky water from inside the cave, which saved them. On Tuesday authorities said some of the boys had asked to eat bread with chocolate spread, but mostly they'll be given a food similar to milk which is rich in proteins and nutrients.

The first boys rescued on Sunday have been allowed to see their relatives through a glass partition and speak to them on a telephone line. They will soon be able to meet them in person, but only while wearing protective clothing to reduce the risk of infection.

The second group of boys rescued has been given approval to see their parents through glass, but the third group are still undergoing tests, he said. The boys are expected to be kept in hospital for at least a week while their immune systems recover.

JUST WATCHED 12 boys and their coach all out of Thai cave Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH 12 boys and their coach all out of Thai cave 01:33

The extraordinary operation to save the boys came to an end on Tuesday, when the Thai Navy SEAL rescuers and a doctor followed the last four boys and their coach out of the cave complex.

On Wednesday, they too were recovering, nursing battered hands and feet from wading through the cold water in the cave to reach the boys.

"Some have had muscle infections, cold, flu, and some psychologists have been taking care of them to relieve stress," Health Ministry Inspector Lertvirairatanapong said.

Even for some of the world's most experienced cave divers, it set a new standard for difficult rescues.

"The complexity, scale and risk of the operation was unprecedented," Glen McEwen, Australian Federal Police manager for Asia said at a press conference Wednesday.

Operations winding down

There was a celebratory mood at the cave entrance, hours after the rescue ended.

Police officers took photographs of each other at the massive cave entrance, as pumps continued to suck out huge volumes of water. Wetsuits and scuba gear still hung along a walkway at the entrance Wednesday, waiting to be sorted by Thai Navy officials.

#CNN inside the Tham Luang Nang Non cave this morning where the soccer team was rescued from. @McKenzieCNN #ThaiCaveRescue pic.twitter.com/JQullZ2w7r — Sugam Pokharel (@SugamCNN) July 11, 2018

Even though pumps had brought down water levels significantly in recent days, the still-flooded chambers presented a daunting task for the teams.

One of the men most responsible for the success of the rescue is Australian anaesthetist and underwater cave explorer Richard Harris, who was part of the 20-strong Australian rescue contingent.

He was the last man out of the cave Tuesday but emerged to tragedy, learning of his father's death shortly after the rescue had completed.

Described in a South Australia Ambulance Service statement as a "quiet and kind man" who "didn't think twice about offering his support on this mission" Harry, as he is known, was lauded for his work in throughout the rescue period.

"This is clearly a time of grief for the Harris family, magnified by the physical and emotional demands of being part of this week's highly complex and ultimately successful rescue mission."

At the final press conference for the rescue mission Wednesday, mission commander Narongsak Osotthanakorn paid tribute to Harris.

"On behalf of the operation unit, we want to send our condolences to him and I do have to thank him a lot," he said. "Without him, in this operation, I don't think we could have succeeded."

Agonizing wait ends

At a school opposite the hospital in Chiang Rai where the boys are recovering, schoolchildren were in an excited, celebratory mood.

"Wild Boars, keep fighting!" they chanted.

During the roughly nine-hour rescue operation, the boys were underwater for four to six hours, according to Jedsada Chokedamrongsook, the permanent secretary of the Thai Health Ministry.

Each boy was accompanied underwater by two divers carrying their oxygen tanks for them, and guiding them through the murky tunnels.

The most dangerous part of the journey out of the labyrinthine cave system was the first kilometer, during which they were required to squeeze through a narrow flooded channel.

Having completed this section, the boys were then handed over to separate, specialist rescue teams, who helped them through the remainder of the cave, much of which they could wade through.

Questions will remain as to why the team, led by their 25-year-old coach, went into the caves during the rainy season -- it is common knowledge that it is a dangerous time to enter, and signs at the entrance specifically warn of the dangers of monsoon rains.

Nopparat Kanthawong, the head coach of the Wild Boars team, told CNN that he did not know why the boys had gone into the cave. "At this time, now that the coach is out, just wait until he gives any statements and let's just wait altogether and find out at the same time," he said in an interview.

Kanthawong said he just wanted to support the team now that the players were out. "I'm going to give them a hug," he said.