Three new cases of the Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS) in Abu Dhabi were confirmed by the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD) on Tuesday. Health officials are claiming that the disease poses no serious threat to public health, although according to the World Health Organization, 10 new cases were discovered during the past several days.
On Tuesday, HAAD representatives announced that three people in the capital have been infected by the potentially deadly virus. They may have been in direct contact with ill people, but didn’t display any symptoms at all. The authorities added that previously found asymptomatic patients rid themselves from the infection and get better in less than two weeks. They reassure the residents of Abu Dhabi that currently, MERS is not considered a serious public health concern and that no travel and trade restrictions or screenings are required. However, people should keep themselves informed about the infection and follow several health and hygiene recommendations – avoiding close contact with people having flu-like and respiratory symptoms, washing hands with soap or hand sanitizer, and using paper tissues when coughing and sneezing. People should also avoid close contact with camels and ill animals, as latest studies suggest that domesticated camels are the source of the infection.
According to the latest data from the World Health Organization, the number of laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS-CoV reached 238, including 92 deaths since its detection in September 2012. Their official report from Wednesday, 16th April, says that a cluster of ten cases of the infection was identified among health-care workers in Abu Dhabi. They had contact with a MERS patient, who died on 10th April. The new cases were found in two women and five men, hospitalized on 9th April, and another three male health-care workers who were admitted on 10th April. Most of the additional 10 cases had only mild if none symptoms, while only one suffered from pneumonia.
HAAD also says the infected people are currently in stable condition and that screenings of their families and contacts within the health-care facility have begun.
