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| Original Map Credit Wikipedia |
#13,848
The Saudi MOH announced 7 more secondary, hospital-acquired MERS cases in Wadi Aldwasir, bringing the number of cases reported since Sunday (Epi Week 6) to 24.
To put that into some kind perspective, the number of cases reported over the past 6 days already equals or exceeds any KSA monthly total during 2018.Of the 7 new hospital-acquired infections, 5 are listed as being in home isolation, which usually indicates an asymptomatic, or possibly mildly symptomatic, contact of a known case who has tested positive for the virus.
But, as we saw last Tuesday, cases placed in home isolation are sometimes later moved to a hospital as their situation changes. Although it isn't stated, it seems likely - based on their ages - that a number of these hospital-acquired cases are among health care workers.
In addition to two other patients described as having recent camel contact - the MOH has reported 3 different clusters of cases in Wadi Aldwasir.
- 5 cases have been listed as secondary, household contacts
- 2 cases have been listed as secondary, community-acquired
- 13 cases have been listed as secondary, healthcare-acquired.
For some recent blogs on the concerns over community transmission of the MERS virus, you may wish to revisit:
J. Korean Med Sci: Atypical Presentation Of A MERS Case In A Returning Traveler From Kuwait
mBio: High Prevalence of MERS-CoV Infection in Camel Workers in Saudi Arabia
AJIC:Intermittent Positive Testing For MERS-CoV
JIDC: Atypical Presentation Of MERS-CoV In A Lebanese Patient
A Pandemic Risk Assessment Of MERS-CoV In Saudi Arabia)
