Saudi Arabia

Coronavirus kills 2 in Saudi Arabia

tahmasebi20130908002903137

Two women have died from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Saudi Arabia.

In a statement released on Saturday, the Saudi Health Ministry said two men also contracted the disease and were hospitalized.

A 41-year-old woman, who worked in the health sector, died in the capital Riyadh and the other, 79, died in Hafr al-Baten in the Eastern Province.

The two men, aged 30 and 47, were also under intensive care in Riyadh and Hafr al-Baten, the ministry said.

The two deaths put the number of those killed by the virus in Saudi Arabia at 44.

Earlier in the day, Qatar’s Supreme Council of Health said a man died on Friday after showing symptoms of the MERS virus on August 17.

Last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) said the number of confirmed infections throughout the globe in the past year stood at 102, of which almost half have died.

MERS is a cousin of SARS. The virus first emerged in the Middle East, and was discovered in September 2012 in a Qatari man who had traveled to Saudi Arabia.

The virus, which causes coughing, fever and pneumonia, does not appear to be as contagious as SARS, which killed some 800 people in a 2003 epidemic.

In addition to Saudi Arabia, MERS has been reported in the Persian Gulf countries, France, Germany, Italy, Tunisia and Britain.

Scientists say dromedary camels in some parts of the Middle East may be fuelling the outbreak in humans by acting as animal reservoir.

While no travel restrictions have been announced, the WHO has urged health authorities across the world to maintain vigilance.

Back to top button