The Ministry of Health (MOH) underlined the importance of prevention of infection and advised citizens and residents to adopt the following practices: Washing hands with water and soap, avoiding contact with patients, refraining from touching eyes or the nose, coughing in a tissue or putting the arm on the mouth when sneezing and then washing hands and arms thoroughly, avoiding close contact with camels infected with respiratory symptoms and abiding by preventive measures when dealing with them. “Everyone, especially those with chronic diseases, should avoid direct contact with camels or thoroughly, avoiding close contact with camels infected with respiratory symptoms and abiding by preventive measures when dealing with them. “Everyone, especially those with chronic diseases, should avoid direct contact with camels or consuming non-boiled or pasteurized dairy products; that's to be added to adopting healthy habits in general,” advised the Ministry.
The MOH also called on all health professionals to abide by regulations, apply preventive measures, adopt basics of infection control, comply with procedures of sorting respiratory cases at emergency sections and use personal protection equipment according to instructions sent by the MOH's Command and Control Center (CCC). Besides, the Ministry called upon everyone, willing to get more information on tips of prevention of infection, to visit the
MOH Portal.
In its weekly press release, the MOH announced that 34 confirmed positive cases of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) have been reported over the past week, from August 30th to September 5th, 2015, corresponding to Dhul-Qi‘dah 15th to 21st, 1436H (the 36th International Week), including 29 cases in Riyadh, three cases in Najran and two other cases in Al-Namas. 25 cases were reported at the MOH hospitals and the other 9 cases were reported at the other health sectors.
During the same period, 2.301 samples were tested for MERS-CoV at the MOH laboratories across the Kingdom. Rapid Response Teams-IPC conducted 44 visits, while public health teams recorded 34 visits to persons in contact with positive cases. The MOH has also revealed that the number of persons, who were in contact with positive cases at home was 467, while the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) recorded one visit.
Besides, the MOH announced that 614 cases, out of the total of 1.209 confirmed cases since the beginning of the outbreak, have been cured, at a rate of 50.8%. There are 67 other cases still receiving treatment, and 14 cases have been quarantined at home.
Within the same vein, the CCC keeps on its efforts around the clock by carrying out epidemiological surveillance tasks, making sure that all governmental and private health facilities abide by 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 developments regarding Coronavirus.
Over and above, the Ministry keeps on its efforts and full coordination with MOA, to launch anti-Coronavirus awareness campaigns at the gathering places of camels to urge camels’ owners, shepherds, and those in contact with them to be careful and take protective measures when dealing with camels. Finally, the MOH highlighted that it shall remain committed to the preset preparations, and that cooperative efforts with other parties, including the Saudi community and healthcare staff who represent the cornerstone in this regard, shall continue.