MERS cases higher than reported, says doctor

JEDDAH: There are more cases of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Riyadh — the center of a sharp rise in infections and deaths this week — than announced by the Health Ministry, a local doctor has reportedly said.
However, Hanan Al-Balkhi, executive director of preventive medicine and infection control at the Ministry of National Guard, said that only the Health Ministry was allowed to announce the number of cases.
She was quoted as saying by a local publication that medical tests run recently showed positive results among several patients and health workers at the National Guard Hospital in Riyadh.
A top-level emergency has now been declared at the hospital to deal with the crisis, according to media reports.
“The procedures for emergency cases at the third level include closure of the emergency department at the National Guard Hospital and transferring patients, who do not have the virus, to other hospitals. All emergency departments and outpatient clinics are closed,” she said.
“The congestion of patients and visitors at the emergency department caused the wild spread of the virus. The number of patients is more than the emergency department’s 145 beds can handle,” she said.