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Post by vpainter on Apr 27, 2014 3:19:45 GMT
I know several people are concerned about coming to KSA with the MERS outbreak going on.
But we need to keep perspective.
KSA has had 300 - 400+ cases most, not all, in Riyadh, Jeddah and Makkah.
There are over 5 million people on Riyadh, over 3 million in Jeddah and over 1 million in Makkah. The percentage of people getting MERS is very limited.
If Houston, TX had 400+ cases of a contagious respiratory virus would you not go there for a business trip? If you lived there would you be afraid to live there? If the hospital near you had a few of cases admitted would you be scared?
We came from Houston and the answer would be no for us. We wouldn't think twice about going about our business.
KSA is an unknown for those people coming for the first time. Yes,there is a respiratory virus in the country. But it is a very small percentage of people getting it and it is running in families.
I would avoid large crowds or a small space packed with people and take precautions if you are around someone coughing that is not covering their mouths.
I hope this puts it into perspective for those coming to KSA.
I personally do not even think about it. Just as I wouldn't have in Houston.
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Post by GroveWanderer on Apr 27, 2014 12:55:40 GMT
According to an article in the Arab News today, the total number of cases of MERS now stands at 323, this covers the entire period since the first confirmed case back in 2012. It is not clear whether this refers to world-wide numbers or just within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Somewhat confusingly however, this does not tally with the WHO figures which as of 24 April put the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases worldwide at 254.
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Post by sh90620 on Apr 28, 2014 19:02:25 GMT
vpainter:
Is there any advise from the local health care folks on do's and don't to avoid MERS, specially for the young ones? If you ran into any such information, please share.
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Post by erdna_oaoj on Apr 28, 2014 21:35:16 GMT
Today on CNN the world health organization stated that this "outbreak" it's following a padern that some how repeats every year in this particular time of the year since the disease was discovered back in 2012.
For they it's still unclear how it's transmitted (not positively sure about the camel story although it's a possibility) but they were stating that most of the cases are transmitted in hospital environment. Unlikely like SARS it's a lot less contagious and they are only recommending usual practice of normal hygiene like the one you have to have to prevent H1N1, wash hands frequently, wash food, etc...
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Post by GroveWanderer on Apr 29, 2014 8:02:07 GMT
The WHO, CDC and Saudi Ministry of Health websites all have information about MERS-CoV including symptoms, precautions etc. The CDC's FAQ page for MERS is: ( www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/mers/faq.html) |
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Post by vpainter on Apr 30, 2014 13:30:10 GMT
Here is what U.S. citizens received from our embassy. Be sure to understand the last statement. Low risk for most people.
Embassy of the United States of America
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
MESSAGE FOR U.S. CITIZENS
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus
April 30, 2014
As most of you are aware, a new virus was discovered in Saudi Arabia two years ago; it is now named the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus, or MERS-CoV. Since April of 2012, there have been cases of MERS-CoV in Saudi Arabia, as well as some cases in other countries. In the last month, Saudi Arabia has seen a number of new cases across the country, most of them in Jeddah. Despite this increase, the total number of people infected with MERS-CoV remains relatively low over a two-year period. The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh is in close contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and monitoring the situation continuously. Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) has a team currently in Saudi Arabia working with the Ministry of Health on MERS-CoV.
Information from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) re MERS-CoV:
While we do not know where the virus came from or exactly how it spreads, it is likely that MERS-CoV originally came from an animal source. Studies have been done to test animals, including camels, for evidence of MERS-CoV infection; however, more information is needed to identify the role that camels, bats, and other animals may play in possible transmission of MERS-CoV. We do not know the reservoir animal for the virus (the primary host of the virus), the possible intermediate animal host, or the ways that the virus is transmitted from animals to humans. There is currently no evidence that MERS-CoV is found in or infects small animal pets such as cats or dogs. The WHO recommends (see more here from WHO) that if you are immune-compromised, or have a pre-existing medical condition that could affect your immune system, that you be careful when visiting farms, barns, marketplaces, or other settings where you may encounter livestock/non-household animals, and avoid exposure to those animals. MERS-CoV has been shown to spread between people who are in very close contact; it does not, however, seem to spread as easily as SARS or many strains of the flu.
In general, Americans visiting Saudi Arabia who are not working in a health care setting or with livestock/non-household animals are considered to be at very low risk for exposure to MERS-CoV
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