Disease

Novel Coronavirus - Saudi Arabia - Update

The Ministry of Health (MoH) in Saudi Arabia has announced an additional laboratory-confirmed case of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection in the country.

MERS Virus May Be Turning Less Deadly

The World Health Organization (WHO) said recent victims of the MERS virus have suffered less severe symptoms than those in the initial cases, and some of those infected during the past few weeks had no symptoms at all.

The new details mean that the previous estimated death rate of 50 percent from infection is likely to be too high.

Most of the victims have been in, or recently visited, Saudi Arabia and adjacent countries.

The WHO stopped short of issuing a public health emergency declaration, which would place governments around the world on heightened alert to protect against the spread of the virus.

This is of particular concern in the lead-up to the October “hajj” in Saudi Arabia, when more than 3 million Muslims from around the world will take part in the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.

MERS belongs to the same broad family of viruses as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). In the early 2000s, SARS killed roughly 800 people worldwide and triggered a global health scare.

The symptoms of both MERS and SARS include fever, coughing and respiratory difficulties. Some MERS patients also experience kidney failure.