Two Saudis Die from MERS, Another Infected

RASHID HASSAN

RIYADH: The Ministry of Health (MoH) reported two deaths and a new case of infection from the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) on Monday.

A 63-year-old Saudi woman died in Buraidah, while a 50-year-old Saudi man died in Khamis Mushayt, according to the Command and Control Center (CCC), the disease-fighting body of the MoH.

This brings the total number of deaths so far to 635 since the virus first emerged in the Kingdom in June 2012.

A 70-year-old Saudi man in Madinah was reported infected on Monday in Madinah. His condition is stable and under review by a doctor.

Nine patients are under treatment at various hospitals in the Kingdom, said the MoH.

The ministry has issued warnings to stay away from camels, and those who work on farms are advised to take maximum precautions by wearing face masks, isolating infected animals and following basic principles of hygiene.

All hospitals are required to comply with guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) in dealing with MERS-CoV, and follow all procedures of the public administration for prevention and infection control.

The CCC carries out epidemiological surveillance tasks to ensure all governmental and private health facilities apply infection-control measures and coordinate with relevant agencies.

The WHO encourages all member states to continue surveillance for acute respiratory infections, and to carefully review any unusual patterns.

(Source: ArabNews.com)