ProMed: Update From Dr. Ziad Memish On Coronavirus Cases

Coronavirus – Credit CDC PHIL

 

 

# 7233

 

In a follow up to two earlier blogs today (see Branswell: Saudi Coronavirus Cluster Increases To 13 & Update On Novel Coronavirus Cases) that increased the size of the cluster of cases to 13, and deaths to 7, we have the actual notification email from Dr. Ziad Memish published in ProMed Mail.

 

Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean (18): Saudi Arabia
Archive Number: 20130505.1693290

NOVEL CORONAVIRUS - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (18): SAUDI ARABIA

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A ProMED-mail post  http://www.promedmail.org

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases

http://www.isid.org

Date: Sunday, May 5, 2013, 11:18 PM
From: Ziad Memish <zmemish@yahoo.com>
Subject: Urgent follow up re nCOV cluster in Alhassa KSA

Dear colleagues,

As a follow up to the most recently reported 10 case cluster of nCOV in Alhasa in the Eastern Province of KSA. Our investigation is still ongoing and we picked up 3 more cases:

• Case 11: 62 year old female with multiple comorbidities. Start of symptoms [19 Apr 2013] and deceased [3 May 2013]
• Case 12: 71 year old male with multiple comorbidities. Start of symptoms [15 Apr 2013], deceased [3 May 2013]
• Case 13: 58 year old female with comorbidities. Start of symptoms [1 May 2013] and currently ventilated in critical but stable condition.

So far there is no apparent community transmission and transmission seem linked to one HCF [health care facility].

We will keep you posted on progress

 

(Continue . . .)

 

While lacking in specifics, the reference to there being no community transmission, and that transmission is linked to a single healthcare facility, suggests that most of these cases acquired the infection while in the hospital.

 

ProMed Mail’s Editors commented (excerpt):

 

. . .  "So far there is no apparent community transmission and transmission seem linked to one HCF [health care facility]" supports a conclusion that this outbreak is a nosocomial outbreak, and the reason that all confirmed cases to date have had existing comorbidities is that they were presumably infected with the nCoV while hospitalized in this HCF for other pre-existing illnesses.

 

You may recall that the first known cluster of this novel coronavirus occurred just over a year ago at a hospital in Zarqua, Jordan. Two of those cases were eventually lab confirmed out of a cluster of at least 11 people (including 8 HCWs) with undiagnosed severe pneumonia. Two people died.  (See ECDC Report and FluTrackers Thread)