Riyadh : The World Health Organization has announced that three individuals in Saudi Arabia have tested positive for MERS Corona Virus (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), with one fatality. The affected individuals, aged between 56yrs and 60yrs, are Riyadh natives. These cases were identified between April 10 and 17, and the patients had preexisting health conditions. The outbreak is suspected to have originated from a health facility in Riyadh, prompting an investigation to pinpoint the exact source.
A previous fatality due to MERS occurred earlier this year in Saudi Arabia. MERS corona virus was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012, later spreading to the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia. Cases were reported in the US in 2014 and in South Korea in 2015, with the disease now confirmed in 27 countries worldwide. This virus is akin to the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for Covid-19, originating from bats and transmitted from camels to humans. Human-to-human transmission occurs through contact.
To date, 941 fatalities have been recorded out of 2,613 MERS cases. Symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, pneumonia, cold, headache, runny nose, sore throat, fatigue, asthma, and bronchitis.
