MERS claims 2; 3 new cases recorded this week after lull, Saudi Health Ministry says

RIYADH: The Ministry of Health this week recorded two deaths and three new cases of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS) after a brief lull.
A 36-year-old Saudi man died of the virus in Buraidah, while the new case, a 21-year-old Saudi female, was diagnosed with MERS in Dawmat Al-Jandal; her condition is stable.
A 69-year-old expatriate man died of MERS in Jeddah on Thursday, said the ministry, adding that two other people had recovered, a Saudi woman, aged 30, in Dammam and a Saudi man, aged 46, in Hail.
The ministry on Wednesday reported two new MERS cases, female citizens aged 18 and 22, in Dawmat Al-Jandal. Their conditions are reported to be stable.
Nine MERS cases were reported in Dawmat Al-Jandal in mid-August, and a total of seven patients are currently undergoing treatment in various hospitals in the Kingdom.
Since MERS first emerged in the Kingdom in June 2012, 693 have died, and the total number of recovered is 1,007.
The Ministry of Health has issued repeated warnings on how to avoid the infection and launched various campaigns to foster public awareness about the disease.
Those who work on farms are advised to take maximum precautions against the virus by wearing face masks, isolating infected animals and following the basic principles of hygiene.