Two elderly Saudi women die of MERS in Riyadh

RIYADH: The Health Ministry reported two deaths and a new case of infection of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) on Sunday following a 10-day lull.
Since June 2012, the ministry had reported 1,252 cases in the Kingdom, resulting in 538 deaths and 703 cases of recovery. Eleven people are currently under treatment at various hospitals in the Kingdom.
The dead were identified as two Saudi women whose ages were 71 and 68, while the new infected case was a 26-year-old expatriate woman whose condition is stable according to doctors. The deaths and the new case were all reported in Riyadh.
Due to a lull in MERS cases, the ministry suspended the dispatch of daily reports on the incidence of the virus.
According to doctors, the incidence depends on seasonal weather. “Since it is related to respiratory disease, the changing weather could trigger problems among patients suffering from chronic ailments,” said one of the doctors.
Based on the current situation and available information, the World Health Organization encouraged its member states to continue their surveillance for acute respiratory infections and to carefully review any unusual patterns.
Infection prevention and control measures are critical to prevent the possible spread of MERS in health care facilities. It is not always possible to identify patients with MERS early because, like other respiratory infections, the early symptoms of MERS are nonspecific. Therefore, health care workers should always apply standard precautions consistently with all patients, regardless of their diagnosis.