Tag Archives: coronavirus

International

Coronavirus MERS update: More cases more deaths!

07 June 2013 (12:48 UTC-07 Tango)/28 Rajab 1434/17 Khordad 1391/29 Wu-Wu (4th month) 4711

In Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), a 14 years old girl is sick with MERS.   She has other health problems, which seems to be a condition for getting infected with MERS.  She lives in an area of KSA that is not the current hot spot for infections, indicating it’s spreading.

Saudi health officials say an 83 years old man died in in the eastern region of Al-Ahsaa.  He developed symptoms on 27 May, and died on 31 May.  Within the KSA 25 people have died, and there are 40 people fighting the infection.  (other sources report numbers lower than that)

In Italy, there are now three people infected.   The man who came back from Jordan unknowingly infected a 42 years old woman and a 2 years old girl.

Going by the latest UN World Health Organization numbers, and current regional reports, there are more than 55 cases and more than 33 deaths, around the world.

There are reports that some people infected with MERS are not showing symptoms.  However, the virus is so new health officials are not sure what typical symptoms are: “…the virus has not been characterized yet. Thus, significant mutations in the viral genome that might explain changes in virulence on transmissibility cannot be confirmed as yet.”-Giovanna Rezza, International Society for Infectious Diseases

International

Coronavirus MERS update: Man tries to escape! More deaths, Italy’s first case! Filipinos lied to! New bacteria scare!

03 June 2013 (18:43 UTC-07 Tango 02 June 2013)/24 Rajab 1434/13 Khordad 1391/25 Wu-Wu (4th month) 4711

Health officials in Bahrain are denying a report that a MERS infected man fled the country.  Apparently the man from Pakistan was placed under quarantine in Bahrain, after getting sick, but snuck out before test results were in.  Officials did admit that the man was detained at the airport: “The Pakistani national, 55, was transferred on Saturday to the Salmaniya Medical Complex after the customs at the King Fahd Causeway alerted the health authorities who dispatched an ambulance.”

Saudi Arabian news media reporting three new deaths, and a new case of infection.  The three that died had other chronic health problems.  A woman with heart disease is the latest person to be infected with MERS virus.

In Italy, a 45 years old man who returned from Jordan, is infected with MERS.  His symptoms are high fever, cough, and breathing difficulties.

So far, all MERS cases have been directly connected to West Asia (Middle East).  The number of cases should be at 52, with 30 deaths.

Health officials with the government of the Philippines are ignorantly telling families not to worry about their loved ones working in Saudi Arabia: “Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia should be properly informed, educated, and guided about taking care of their health amid the spread of MERS.”-John Leonard Monterona, Philippines Migrante Middle East regional coordinator

The problem with the above statement is that MERS is a brand new virus, and World health officials don’t know how it’s being spread, or how people can protect themselves from it!  It’s only been realized in the past couple of weeks that it is airborne.

Back in Saudi Arabia, reports of an outbreak of Klebsiella bacteria at the Al-Ahsa Obstetrics and Children Hospital.  Health officials say the number of cases are limited, but locals say four children have died.

International

Coronavirus MERS update: More deaths! Infected people spreading the disease before they get sick!

30 May 2013 (03:30 UTC-07 Tango)/20 Rajab 1434/09 Khordad 1391/21 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

The UN World Health Organization said there are now 49 confirmed cases and 27 deaths.

Health officials are calling for longer quarantine periods for people infected with the new MERS virus.   A new study published in the Lancet concluded that the bat virus takes much longer to incubate inside a host (9-12 days versus 1-9 days).  This means it’s possible for an infected person to spread the virus before they actually get sick.

International

Coronavirus MERS update: Two more people die! More than 50% kill rate!

23 May 2013 (03:40 UTC-07 Tango)/13 Rajab 1434/02 Khordad 1391/14 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

The first person to become infected in Tunis, became the first to die.  The man came back from a trip to Saudi Arabia, sick.  His two sons are now sick and under medical observation.

In Saudi Arabia two people have died.  One man died on Monday, then (according to some reports) another man died on Wednesday.  Health officials also reported a new case of infection in a woman.

The new cases bring the total number of infections, since September 2012, to 43.  Deaths at 23.

International

Coronavirus MERS update: More cases, more deaths!

15 May 2013 (12:34 UTC-07 Tango)/05 Rajab 1434/25 Ordibehest 1391/06 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health reports six more people infected (four announced Monday, two on Tuesday).  The new cases include nurses who got infected while treating patients.   One of the new human cases died.  Another person died a couple of days ago.

What’s interesting is that the Saudi Ministry of Health announced on 13 May that the infections were no longer spreading.

The situation has become so worrisome that a veterinary clinic in Dubai has been set up to treat humans!

There are now 40 cases, and 20 deaths globally.

There is no vaccine for MERS.

 

 

International

Coronavirus MERS update: More cases in France & Saudi Arabia! Proof of airborne transmission!

12 May 2013 (22:03 UTC-07 Tango 11 May 2013)/02 Rajab 1434/22 Ordibehest 1391/03 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

On 11 May 2013, France reported that three people tested for the new MERS were negative. What many reports didn’t tell you is that there are at least two more possible cases.

Beside the man who came back from United Arab Emirates (UAE) sick, two people connected to him are also sick.  Testing has confirmed one to be positive for MERS, medical personnel are waiting for the test results on the other person.

The second French man who is infected with MERS, got infected while in the same hospital room as the first MERS infected man.  Benoit Guery, the head of the Lille hospital’s infectious diseases service, says it proves “The airborne transmission of the virus was possible.”

Health officials in Thailand have issued a warning.  Anyone returning from trips to West Asia (Middle East) should report to a doctor for examination, especially if they have symptoms of the flu or colds.

The UN World Health Organization issued a warning, they want all health officials to be on the lookout for people with SARS like symptoms as well as pneumonia.  The UNWHO is also sending a two man team to Saudi Arabia, where at least two more cases have been confirmed.  The new two man team is independent of the UNWHO team that was invited by the government of Saudi Arabia.

The latest cases in Saudi Arabia are people who got sick last month, but no doctor recognized their infections as MERS until now. There are now 33 confirmed cases, and 18 deaths.

International

Coronavirus MERS update: Spreads to France!

08 May 2013 (14:02 UTC-07 Tango)/27 Jumada t-Tania 1434/18 Ordibehest 1391/29 Ding-Si (3rd month) 4711

“We still don’t know the animal reservoir of this virus or the source of exposure. We need a solid epidemiological investigation to nail down a common behavior between patients….All we can tell people at the moment is they should be very vigilant about their basic hygiene practices.”-Gregory Hartl, UNWHO

France has confirmed a 65 years old man is infected with the new SARS like coronavirus called MERS.  He got infected while on a trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The UN World Health Organization says there are now 30 confirmed human cases, 18 of which have died.  Most cases are in Saudi Arabia, but have spread to Jordan, UAE, Qatar, United Kingdom, Germany and now France.

 

International

Coronavirus update: 2 more deaths! Now called MERS.

07 May 2013 (09:19 UTC-07 Tango)/26 Jumada t-Tania 1434/17 Ordibehest 1391/28 Ding-Si (3rd month) 4711

The new SARS like virus in Saudi Arabia has killed two more people.  The death toll is now 18.

Both of the latest victims were from the same family, from the Al-Ahsa governorate.  So far six of the deaths were people from Al-Ahsa.

Health officials still don’t understand how the new coronavirus works.  It results in death from pneumonia or kidney failure.  Some researchers think it’s related to a bat virus.  However, most victims did not have contact with non-human animals.

International health researchers have decided on a name for the new virus: MERS.  It stands for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome.