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MOH: 4 MERS-CoV Cases Reported Last Week

24 May 2015

In its weekly press release, the Ministry of Health (MOH) reported four confirmed cases of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Riyadh, Al-Aflaj and Hofuf, over the period from May 17th to 23rd, 2015, corresponding to Rajab 28th to Shaaban 5th, 1436H (the 21st International Week).

The MOH highlighted that despite the reduction in the number of cases compared to the same period in the last year, it will continue to take strict measures, and exert cooperative efforts with other parties, including the Saudi community and healthcare staff, who are the cornerstone in this regard.

"During the same period," the ministry said, "1,380 samples were tested for MERS-CoV at the MOH laboratories across the Kingdom. The number of visits by public health teams to persons in contact with positive cases was four, and the number of those in contact with positive cases at homes was twenty two." In the same time, the Ministry continued its efforts with a view to spreading health awareness among the society members through the anti-Coronavirus campaign dubbed, “We Can Stop It”.

Within the same vein, the MOH announced that 559 cases (out of 1,003 confirmed cases) have been cured, at a rate of 55.7%.

Moreover, the Command and Control Center (CCC) keeps on its efforts around the clock by carrying out epidemiological surveillance tasks, making sure that all governmental and private health facilities are applying infection control measures as well as coordinating with the relevant governmental sectors, international health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), and think-tanks to follow up all MERS-CoV-related developments.

Over and above, the Ministry keeps on its efforts and full coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) to launch anti-Coronavirus awareness campaigns in the gathering places of camels to urge camels’ owners and shepherds to be careful and stick to ways of protection when dealing with camels.