UAE’s Proximity to Saudi Arabia
# 8531
Although a notice has yet to be posted on the Abu Dhabi Health Authority website, WAM – the Emirates News Agency – is carrying a report indicating that 7 new cases have been identified, and hospitalized, while another 8 have now cleared the virus and have been released from isolation.
Although the total number of cases in this UAE cluster are not given, this report states that 18 have now been released from the hospital.
FluTracker’s MERS Case List has captured roughly 25 cases from this cluster which began roughly a month ago, but there are gaps in the reporting, making it very difficult to track with any certainty. Hopefully updates from the WHO will eventually shed some light on the size and scope of this cluster.
Today’s article opens with the good news regarding the 8 patients who have been cleared to leave the hospital, and only mentions the 7 new cases about halfway through.
Health Authority - Abu Dhabi announces 8 more cases of MERS Coronavirus tested negative
2014-04-25 20:54:29
WAM ABU DHABI, 25th April, 2014 (WAM)--The Health Authority - Abu Dhabi (HAAD) announced that 8 more cases in isolation in hospital with MERS Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), have tested negative for the virus, and will be leaving hospital soon. With this, the number of negative tested individuals rises to 18.
HAAD said that "these 8 cases were confirmed positive through routine screening of contacts, and were kept in isolation at hospitals as a precautionary measure. They were able to clear the virus within 10 -14 days themselves without any treatment."It is expected that the other individuals with positive MERS Coronavirus currently in isolation in hospitals will likewise soon test negative and be able to go home. They are being tested daily to check on their positive status.
HAAD also announced 7 new cases with MERS-CoV. Most of them have either no symptoms or mild symptoms, and are expected to clear virus soon. They have been admitted to hospital for isolation until they clear the virus.
HAAD confirmed that "it is coordinating with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and other Authorities in the country, and has taken all necessary measures as per international standards and recommendations from the World Health Organisation (WHO)."The MOH stated that the WHO confirmed the virus is not a concern for public health at the moment, and that the current situation does not require a travel ban to any country in the world, screenings at different ports, or any restrictions on trade.
The MOH confirmed that "it is monitoring the situation closely to ensure the health and safety of everyone." WAM/Majok
