Credit Wikipedia
# 8522
The announcement yesterday of 5 MERS cases detected in and around Mecca has raised renewed concerns over the potential for international visitors to contract, and return home with, the MERS coronavirus.
Earlier this month we learned of a Malaysian pilgrim who died after performing Umrah in late March (see Malaysian MOH Statement On Imported (Fatal) Case Of MERS-CoV), which has resulted in the quarantine of dozens of contacts, and the implementation of ongoing MERS screening at Malaysian airports.
Despite this well reported incident, and recent MERS cases reported in Mecca, Saudi Arabia's Hajj Ministry continues to maintain that no pilgrims have been affected, and dismisses concerns over the risks posed by the MERS virus.
This, published five hours ago, from Trade Arabia:
'No Umrah cancellations due to Mers'
Saudi Arabia's Haj Ministry denied any cancellation of Umrah reservations in the wake of the Mers virus attacks in the kingdom, an official was quoted as saying.
Abdullah Marghalani, undersecretary at the Haj Ministry, said in an Arab News report that the Saudi Health Ministry is the only official body responsible for issuing health advice for the pilgrimage. “We do not take into account rumours circulating on social networking sites,” he said.
The Health Ministry has reassured residents that the virus has not reached an epidemic stage, he said. This is why the Haj Ministry has not taken precautionary measures so far, he added in the report.
The virus has not affected Umrah pilgrims so far, nor has it had any effect on applications for the Haj and Umrah pilgrimages, he said.
There have been 3.8 million Umrah pilgrims since the beginning of this season, a 30 percent increase from the 2.5 million pilgrims performing Umrah this time last year, the report quoted Marghalani as saying.
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 Umrah), at other times of the year. These minor pilgrimages don’t absolve the faithful of making the hajj journey unless they take place during Ramadan (this year: June 28th-July 28th).
As a result, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) receives more than 7 million visitors each year, with most of them arriving during the month of Ramadan and during the Hajj ( begins the 1st week of October this year).
With more than 1.5 billion Muslims around the world, the wait for a visa to partake in the Hajj or Umrah can literally take a decade or longer, and many devout save for much their lives in order to make this pilgrimage. For many, the opportunity to do the Hajj only comes late in life, and any decision to postpone that pilgrimage is a serious one.
Last summer, during Ramadan, the KSA MOH Updated Health Protection Advice For Umrah & Hajj, where they urged the elderly, those with chronic illnesses, immune dysfunctions, as well as pregnant women and children not to make a pilgrimage last year.
This, however, was only a suggestion – not a mandate. And many people ignored the recommendations. Luckily, the MERS virus was still only circulating at low levels, and no spike in cases occurred.
We’ll have wait to see what, if any, changes will be made to this year’s Umrah & Hajj recommendations as Ramada grows nearer. For now, individual countries have begun issuing travel advice, such as the following released by Singapore’s Ministry of Health last week:
Health advisory for Umrah and Haj pilgrims
The World Health Organization (WHO)1 has reported cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and United Arab Emirates. The Ministry of Health (MOH) would like to advise Umrah and Haj pilgrims of the following:
- Get vaccinated against influenza and meningitis. MOH also recommends pneumococcal vaccination for persons aged 65 years and above, or with chronic medical conditions.
- Pilgrims with pre-existing chronic medical conditions (e.g. diabetes, chronic bronchitis) should consult a medical practitioner before travelling to assess whether making the pilgrimage is medically advisable.
- Avoid close contact with persons suffering from acute respiratory infections (e.g. someone who is coughing).
- Avoid contact with live farm or wild animals.
- Observe good personal hygiene at all times, and practise frequent hand washing with soap and water, before handling food or eating, after going to toilet, or when hands are dirtied by respiratory secretions after coughing or sneezing and in particular, after direct contact with ill persons or their environment. Persons who are sick are reminded to cover their nose and mouth with tissue when sneezing or coughing, and to dispose of the tissue properly.
- Wear masks (i.e. surgical masks), especially when in crowded places.
- Adopt good food safety and hygiene practices and avoid taking undercooked meats, raw fruits and vegetables (unless they have been peeled), or unsafe water.
- Wear a mask and seek medical attention promptly if you become unwell with fever and cough and/or breathlessness while travelling or within 2 weeks after returning to Singapore, and inform the doctor of your travel history.
Updated: 17 Apr 2014
1 For the latest update, please refer to WHO’s website at: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/coronavirus_infections/en/index.html.
