Middle East SARS
 

Sounds like it's getting a bit serious. Just in time for a step up of Umrah traffic to the Kingdom.

http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=59066


http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/28/he...ath/index.html

Re: Middle East SARS
 

Probably won't kill as many as the regular flu, just like the other SARS didn't. Usual precautions can be taken, avoid close contact, wash hands regularly and cover your mouth when coughing etc.

Best avoid the York, 49rs and Blitz for a while Millhouse...

N.

Re: Middle East SARS
 

so that'll be 99% of the population of the region doing the exact opposite then

Re: Middle East SARS
 

Exactly the problem. I've always been concerned that they don't get enough fruit in their diets...


A couple more reported dead in Saudi today with MESARS...

Re: Middle East SARS
 

Just had a travel alert on this...

Updated Information
Health officials in Saudi Arabia have reported two new cases of novel coronavirus MERS-CoV in Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern) Province. The first case, which officials reported on June 4, occurred in an 83-year-old man with multiple comorbidities; authorities have linked this case to the nosocomial outbreak in a hospital in al-Ahsa Governorate. The second case - reported June 2 and confirmed by the WHO June 5 - involved a 14-year-old girl, whose infection has not been linked to any cluster. Other details about these cases are pending.

Background and Analysis
Health officials have reported at least 41 MERS-CoV cases and 24 related deaths in Saudi Arabia since June 2012. Of these, 31 cases have occurred in eastern Saudi Arabia since mid-April 2013, including 24 cases in a hospital cluster in al-Ahsa Governorate. Despite this surge, Saudi authorities have not been forthcoming with detailed information about new cases, and it often takes several days for international officials to corroborate case details. Officials believe the al-Ahsa outbreak may be caused by nosocomial infections, but investigations are still underway. Other infections appear sporadic, and researchers continue to search for a definitive source of infection.

Since April 2012, health authorities have confirmed 55 total infections and 30 related deaths due to MERS-CoV, which is distinct from the coronavirus responsible for the 2002-2003 SARS outbreaks. Infections have occurred primarily in Saudi Arabia, but sporadic or travel-related cases have also occurred in Jordan, Qatar, the UAE, the UK, France, Tunisia, and Italy. International officials have closely monitored all close contacts of known MERS-CoV cases since the virus was first discovered. Because confirmed instances of secondary infections have been so rare, officials maintain that the risk of person-to-person MERS-CoV transmission is low. However, the likely hospital cluster in al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, has emphasized the dangers of nosocomial spread. Researchers continue to search for a definitive source of infection.

Advice
No immunization or specific treatments exist for MERS-CoV. Until researchers can determine routes of exposure and geographic incidence, experts can only recommend diligence in personal health precautions: Wash your hands regularly with soap and water (or alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water are unavailable); cover coughs and sneezes; avoid apparently sick individuals; and consider avoiding large crowds. Monitor yourself for signs of fever or respiratory infection; if symptoms develop, seek medical attention, and inform your doctor of any recent travel to affected areas.

Re: Middle East SARS
 

The WHO threw a wobbler at the Saudi authorities about this last week. seems the Saudi handling of it has been nothing short of farcical and the WHO finally got them to admit that they had been sending samples to the wrong labs, lost samples, had covered up cases etc.

Pretty much exactly how I thought they would handle it.

The WHO has now demanded that all samples etc be sent to certain WHO labs and that all case info passes through them.

This is why this could become an issue in the region. Authorities here are neither capable nor competent enough to handle a major disease outbreak and the obsession with "bad news" news control and denial could potentially have devastating consequences.


****ing idiots basically

Re: Middle East SARS
 

according to the WHO it is in fact already in the several countries

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/coron...da_23May13.pdf

Re: Middle East SARS
 

[QUOTE=NorthernLad;10743413]Just had a travel alert on this...

Updated Information
Health officials in Saudi Arabia have reported two new cases of novel coronavirus MERS-CoV in Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern) Province. The first case, which officials reported on June 4, occurred in an 83-year-old man with multiple comorbidities; authorities have linked this case to the nosocomial outbreak in a hospital in al-Ahsa Governorate. The second case - reported June 2 and confirmed by the WHO June 5 - involved a 14-year-old girl, whose infection has not been linked to any cluster. Other details about these cases are pending.



Guess it is safe to assume neither of these had been to the York etc!

Re: Middle East SARS
 

[QUOTE=Jim Smith;10743720]Just for those who hadn't heard of "nosocomial" before (all of us?) and--like me till just now--couldn't be arsed to look it up:

Nosocomial: Originating or taking place in a hospital, acquired in a hospital, especially in reference to an infection.
A nosocomial infection is specifically one that was not present or incubating prior to the patient being admitted to the hospital, but occurred within 72 hours after admittance to the hospital.