MERS Leaves South Korea, Suspected in UK

After more than two months from its first reported case, South Korea is ready to declare itself safe from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).
Nearly 17,000 people had been quarantined at the peak of the outbreak, with 168 infected and 26 people killed from the virus. But now, it has been four weeks since a confirmed case has been reported. Twelve people remain hospitalised in South Korea and under treatment for MERS, although only one is still testing positive for the MERS virus, the Health Ministry said.
"It is the assessment of the government and the medical community that the public can rest easy," Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn said at a government public health meeting.
Although it was early to declare the outbreak completely over, he urged the public to return to normal daily life as the local economy had suffered as a result, with shops and schools being shut down during the outbreak and visitor numbers plummeting dramatically.
In the United Kingdom an emergency department had to go into quarantine earlier this week when two patients admitted to the ward were feared to have MERS.
The Manchester Royal Infirmary said the patients were being kept in isolation for tests and after a brief lockdown of the A&E, the department had been reopened.
"Both patients were isolated for ongoing management of their condition while tests took place," the hospital said in a statement.
"We would like to reassure our patients and the general public that there is no significant risk to public health."
If it is confirmed as MERS, it will be the fifth time it has been detected in the UK. Three have already died from it.
Ben Neuman, a virologist at Reading University, said if the UK cases were confirmed, the risk of MERS developing into an outbreak in Britain were small.
"MERS only becomes a problem if it is mishandled," he said. He credits UK’s experience in handling the Ebola virus in patients returning from West Africa with their confidence in dealing with infectious diseases.
"As a result of Ebola, there are far more people in the UK with experience in handling dangerous viruses than there were a year ago," he said.

MERS facts

• Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus is known as MERS and MERS-CoV


• All recorded cases can be traced back to the Middle East


• Dromedary camels are thought to be the source of infection


• The virus can be spread person-to-person


• Symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties


• Severe cases can have a rapid onset of respiratory illness, like pneumonia


• There is no vaccine to prevent the virus