Govt urges caution on 'camel virus' Outbreak hits Middle East, Europe

Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Seif Rashid

 The public has been urged to remain calm but to take precautions as reports emerge of the possible outbreak of a new viral respiratory disease called the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS –CoV) which has spread to various parts of the world.

 

“The ministry calls upon the general public to wash their hands as advised by health specialists…you have to cover your mouth and nose with tissue or handkerchief when you cough or sneeze,” advises a statement from the Health and Social Welfare Ministry.

 

Undersigned by the ministry’s corporate communication department, the statement reassured the public that “there are no patients diagnosed with the deadly viral but the government is taking all necessary precautions.”

“We strongly urge the general public to remain calm.  We have no such cases yet,” the statement reads.

 

The statement explains that the disease is a viral respiratory disease caused by Mers corona-virus and was first discovered in Saudi Arabia in 2012. 

“The Corona virus is suspected to originate from camels,” the ministry detailed in the media communiqué.

 

The airborne disease is transmitted from human to human through coughing or sneezing when the infected person is not wearing a protective mask. 

 

“It may also be transmitted by touching infected areas by hands and subsequently touching ones mouth and/or nose,” warns the statement.

 

It explains that the symptoms include fever, cough, and/or shortness of breath. Pneumonia is a common finding during examination and it may also include diarrhea. The duration from infection to symptoms is 2 to 10 days.

 

The disease is also reported to have spread to European countries like France, Germany and the United Kingdom while in Africa Tunisia is reported to have suffered several cases in 2012 up to April 2015.

 

The ministry confirmed in the statement that it has not banned international arrivals but stand to advise people departing to the Far East, where the disease was discovered to be cautious.

 

The Philippines and Malaysia, two Southeast Asian countries, have recorded MERS-CoV infections among the people who returned home from their visits to the Middle East.

 

Preliminary reports from the ministry said so far camels in Egypt, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia were confirmed to have the viruses which have killed hundreds of countrymen.

 

According to the statement, in May 20 this year, Korea was reported to have been highly affected with the coronary virus compared to Thailand and China where out of 167 infected people 24 died.

 

To prevent the penetration of the disease in the country, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is increasing surveillance to its five influenza sentinel surveillance sites.

 

It has also released ‘standard case’ definition to enable different people to identify the diseases and symptoms as a way to prevent the spread of the disease.

 

The team of experts is also supervising patrol along the border to prevent penetration of diseases especially in points with passengers from Middle East, European and Far East countries.

 

Like it was for Ebola, the scanning machines virus for corona will be applied at entry points especially airports.