#10,617
Proving once again that viruses are very unpredictable, and can sometimes lie dormant for weeks or even months, for the second time in less than a week we’ve a high profile `relapse’ of a patient previously declared free of an emerging infectious disease.
On Friday it was UK Ebola Survivor Cafferkey Back In Isolation After Relapse, while today, we learn that Korea’s last MERS patient – released from the hospital nearly 2 weeks ago – is back in isolation and testing positive for the virus.
Crof posted the media report a short while ago (see South Korea: Last MERS patient tests positive again), and below you’ll find the (machine translated) official statement by the Korean Health Ministry. While the risk of being infected by this patient is considered `low’, more than 100 people are now back in either home, or hospital isolation.
MER près last patient (80th), positive as inpatient
-Seoul National University Hospital, the patient will be hospitalized on the bottle and the current treatment and quarantine
-Medical staff and the patient transferred to agents, etc., contact a family, now 61 self isolation of
□ Deputy Minister Mer Center Mer management measures past the last patient of the headquarters of the Mer es being discharged, Seoul National University Hospital and diagnosed with a 10.1, voice for the symptoms such as a fever patient 80th 10.11, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul National University Hospital, the hospital, and
○ Seoul National University Hospital and the disease management Division, 10.12 virus genetic test was positive in.
* 80 patients (m, 35): has the patient contact (5.27) → Samsung Seoul hospital isolation of hospitalization (4.1) → diagnosis (4.2) → Seoul National University Hospital supply (4.5) released the final Voice Award (10.1) → → (6.4) → Seoul National University Hospital re admitted (10.11) → Mer près positive determination (10.12)
* Based on a patient's discharge 80 times every 24 hours the international twice followed the criteria that determine the voice, even after discharge the patient strictly management on an ongoing basis.
□ 10.11, that patients with fever and vomiting, etc. 05:30 as a symptom of Samsung medical screening clinic being treated for my 12:15 by Seoul National University Hospital and transferred to the quarantine hospital bed piety and was hospitalized.
Symptoms such as a fever disease control headquarters to pray for us to the point before the patient had contact with the patient, family, medical personnel and transported personnel, such as the name of the current parties, additional quarantine 61 touch now, whether it's mechanics, said during the investigation.
* Self-isolation (61): medical staff and family of four patients, hospital staff, patients and carers a 29 people, 16 people, ambulances transported nosocomial related 12 people
□ This patient in relation to disease control headquarters held a meeting of expert advisors, 10.12,
○ MER près gene was identified as a positive voice switched back to the patients the reasons for experts "are similar to the State of 2 months discharged patient was lurking in the body, very small amounts of virus genes are thought to be detected, infected forces to be very low," she explained.
□ Seoul National University Hospital patients for disease control headquarters is currently hospitalized in isolation on the bottle, and if your contact for quarantine measures would keep the thoroughly.
Although both the Korean MERS and the Scottish Ebola case relapses appear to be exceedingly rare events, having two in short order reminds us of the importance of long-term follow up of these cases. Not only for their sake - and the public’s safety - but for the advancement of our knowledge on the pathogenesis and long-term sequelae of these diseases.
Resources and services that, sadly, are unlikely to be extended to the vast majority of West African Ebola survivors who continue to deal with persistent post-Ebola health problems.
Meanwhile, Korea’s long awaited all-clear from their MERS outbreak – scheduled for the end of October – appears at least a couple of months away.
