#11,868
On October 30th the Saudi MOH announced a single, primary MERS case in Buraidah, that of a 41 y.o. Saudi male already listed in critical condition.
`Primary cases’ are those that occur in the community when there is no known exposure to a healthcare facility or to a known human case. Over the past 4 years, roughly 44% of Saudi cases fall into this category.
Cases that are already listed in critical condition (or have died) at the time the are reported are always worthy of notice, since that might indicate delayed detection and/or isolation.
Today the Saudi MOH announces two more primary cases from Buraidah, both Saudi males (ages 94 & 61), and once again, both are already listed as being in critical condition.
While it may all be coincidental, with 3 presumably unconnected, albeit similar case reports from the same locality in less than a week, it is safe to say we'll be keeping a close eye on Buraidah over the next week or so.
