# 7288
The sudden uptick in MERS-CoV (aka nCoV) cases in Saudi Arabia over the past month has led to cautions being issued today to Muslims in Singapore planning to visit the Middle East this summer.
All able bodied Muslims are required to make at least one major pilgrimage to Mecca during their lifetime, at the time of the hajj. This is known as the fifth pillar of Islam, and is one of the duties incumbent upon all Muslims.
The faithful may also make `lesser pilgrimages’, called omra (or sometimes Umrah), at other times of the year. These minor pilgrimages don’t absolve the faithful of making the hajj journey.
The hajj is roughly five months away (it occurs mid-October this year), but millions of Muslims take these lesser pilgrimages over the summer months.
This from News Channel Asia.
MUIS, MOH issue health advisory on coronavirus to pilgrims
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS), working with the Health Ministry, has issued a health advisory on the novel coronavirus, now known as the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
The advisory strongly advises Muslims with plans to visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia this summer to:
- Get vaccinated against influenza and meningitis
- If over 65, or suffering from chronic illness, to get the pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine
- Observe good personal hygiene and hand washing
- Observe good flu etiquette (cover coughs, sneezes, dispose of tissues properly)
- If unwell with fever or respiratory symptoms while traveling, or within 10 days of returning from the Middle East to don a mask and seek medical treatment promptly.
- Inform your doctor of any recent travel history to the Middle East.
The long incubation period (believed to be approx. 10 days) - along with few clues as to the kinds of exposures that increase the risk of infection - have many countries with strong travel ties to Saudi Arabia on heightened alert.
Yesterday, in their updated rapid risk assessment, the ECDC had this to say:
ECDC supports the WHO travel advice which imposes no travel or trade restrictions in relation to novel coronaviruses. However, EU citizens travelling to the Arabian Peninsula and neighbouring countries need to be aware of the presence of MERS-CoV in this geographical area and of the small risk of infection. Member States may consider active information efforts for travellers to areas most at risk.
While the absolute risk of contracting MERS is considered very low - with tens of thousands of pilgrims traveling to and returning from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia each week - no one would be terribly surprised if sporadic MERS cases started turning up outside of the Middle East.
