China Issues MERS ‘High Alert’ as Number of Ca

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   China Issues MERS ‘High Alert’ as Number of Cases in South Korea Rises

by Michael Lucchese15 Jun 20153

China has taken steps to increase the national health warning regarding South Korea’s deadly MERS outbreak as the South Korean government announced new MERS-related deaths this Monday.

This makes China the latest in a series of Asian countries surrounding South Korea, including Taiwan and Singapore, which have put either severe restrictions or major warnings on travel to and from the place of the new outbreak.

A total of 16 South Koreans have died from the disease since the outbreak last month. Doctors know for sure that about 150 have been infected, and of those, 120 are currently undergoing treatment.

Saudi Arabia, where the virus originated, also announced a spread of the disease; five new cases have been discovered, according to state television reports.

China announced Monday that the country has been placed on high alert in response to the first case of MERS discovered in the nation. The infected patient is not Chinese; apparently, he is a South Korean national. He is currently recovering in a Chinese hospital.

Customs agents, tourism officials, and all government workers who inspect border crossings have been told to be on the lookout for signs of the disease, in an effort to limit the spread of the virus into China.

Hospitals, too, have been told to watch for the disease’s symptoms and isolate any who may be carrying the virus.

MERS, which stands for Middle East respiratory syndrome, is a virus which kills 30 to 40 percent of those it infects by attacking a victim’s lungs and breathing tubes.

MERS spreads through close contact with those who have been infected, so hospital workers at buildings where MERS patients are being treated are particularly susceptible to catching the disease.

Health officials identified three cases of MERS in the United States in 2014. Two were in healthcare professionals who had worked in Saudi Arabia.

Doctors identified the third case in an Illinois businessman, who met with one of the two original U.S. cases. However, by the time doctors tested him, he had successfully fought off the virus.

In South Korea, the disease has brought the nation to a screeching halt. Fears of the outbreak becoming a pandemic have hit the South Korean economy, exacerbating what were already tough times for the South Korean people.

Nearly 3,000 schools were shut down in response to the virus, including dozens of universities. However, all but about 500 are expected to reopen this Monday.

Reportedly, 2,854 South Koreans remain in government-mandated quarantine and medical observation.

http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/06/15/china-issues-mers-high-alert-as-number-of-cases-in-south-korea-rises/

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arirish Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: June 19 2013 Location: Arkansas Status: Offline Points: 39215	Post Options Post Reply Quote arirish Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: China Issues MERS ‘High Alert’ as Number of Ca Posted: June 15 2015 at 1:47pm
	China Issues MERS ‘High Alert’ as Number of Cases in South Korea Rises by Michael Lucchese15 Jun 20153 China has taken steps to increase the national health warning regarding South Korea’s deadly MERS outbreak as the South Korean government announced new MERS-related deaths this Monday. This makes China the latest in a series of Asian countries surrounding South Korea, including Taiwan and Singapore, which have put either severe restrictions or major warnings on travel to and from the place of the new outbreak. A total of 16 South Koreans have died from the disease since the outbreak last month. Doctors know for sure that about 150 have been infected, and of those, 120 are currently undergoing treatment. Saudi Arabia, where the virus originated, also announced a spread of the disease; five new cases have been discovered, according to state television reports. China announced Monday that the country has been placed on high alert in response to the first case of MERS discovered in the nation. The infected patient is not Chinese; apparently, he is a South Korean national. He is currently recovering in a Chinese hospital. Customs agents, tourism officials, and all government workers who inspect border crossings have been told to be on the lookout for signs of the disease, in an effort to limit the spread of the virus into China. Hospitals, too, have been told to watch for the disease’s symptoms and isolate any who may be carrying the virus. MERS, which stands for Middle East respiratory syndrome, is a virus which kills 30 to 40 percent of those it infects by attacking a victim’s lungs and breathing tubes. MERS spreads through close contact with those who have been infected, so hospital workers at buildings where MERS patients are being treated are particularly susceptible to catching the disease. Health officials identified three cases of MERS in the United States in 2014. Two were in healthcare professionals who had worked in Saudi Arabia. Doctors identified the third case in an Illinois businessman, who met with one of the two original U.S. cases. However, by the time doctors tested him, he had successfully fought off the virus. In South Korea, the disease has brought the nation to a screeching halt. Fears of the outbreak becoming a pandemic have hit the South Korean economy, exacerbating what were already tough times for the South Korean people. Nearly 3,000 schools were shut down in response to the virus, including dozens of universities. However, all but about 500 are expected to reopen this Monday. Reportedly, 2,854 South Koreans remain in government-mandated quarantine and medical observation. http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/06/15/china-issues-mers-high-alert-as-number-of-cases-in-south-korea-rises/
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Medclinician Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List V.I.P. Member Valued Member Since 2006 Joined: July 08 2009 Status: Offline Points: 23322	Post Options Post Reply Quote Medclinician Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: June 25 2015 at 8:26am
	China is not exactly being totally transparent in reporting MERS cases and data is very hard to find. This an article less than a month ago with more info on this. http://guardianlv.com/2015/05/mers-virus-now-in-china-and-korea-besides-saudi-arabia/ Last Friday, China confirmed its first case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in Guangdong province. The now-confirmed South Korean MERS patient, who ignored travel warnings and lied about his conditions when flying to China, had been in close contact with seventy-seven people in the province. As of June 1, sixty-four have been quarantined while the thirteen others remain to be found. The relatively recent memory of China’s SARS outbreak in addition to the similarities between the diseases has magnified concerns that a similar outbreak could occur with MERS. Also originated in Guangdong, the SARS virus triggered one of the most serious social political crises in China. Like SARS, MERS is caused by a coronavirus (MERS‐CoV) that makes a species jump from animals to humans. Many people with MERS can develop severe complications such as pneumonia. There is currently also no vaccine or drug that works against MERS. Like SARS, a majority of the severe MERS cases are treated with the help of ventilators. But MERS patients generally develop severe acute respiratory illness faster than those with SARS. In critically ill MERS patients, the median time from onset to death is twelve days, compared to twenty-one days for SARS patients. The case fatality rate of MERS is about 40 percent, much higher than H1N1 and SARS. In view of the lethality of the virus, the local hospital that received the first MERS patient purposefully drew mostly from among unmarried medical workers for assignment to the team that would treat potential MERS patients. Medclinician
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