# 10,672
Had things gone according to plan, today is the day the Korean government had hoped to officially end their 5+ month-long MERS outbreak. The last (of 186) MERS positive cases had tested negative, and was released from the hospital during the first week of October, setting the `28-days till clear’ clock running.
Things went sideways on October 11th, when that last patient developed a fever, was re-hospitalized, and tested positive for the virus once more (see Korean Govt. Statement On MERS Patient `Relapse’ and Isolation)
Authorities quarantined 190 close contacts of the patient (they were released on Monday), and the `clock’ was set back to zero. While no additional transmission of the virus has been reported in Korea since early July - until this last patient tests negative again - that’s where it will probably stay.
This from KBS news.
Gov't Puts off Declaring End to MERS Outbreak
Write : 2015-10-29 13:53:23 Update : 2015-10-29 20:02:10
Health authorities have decided to delay declaring an official end to the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which was initially set to be issued on Thursday.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Thursday that it reached the decision in order to exercise more caution, noting that a 35-year-old patient who was thought to be the last patient to recover from MERS continues to test positive.
