Search This Blog

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Malaysia : 15 Malaysian pilgrims to be declared free from MERs if no signs or symptoms in 42 days

Via NST :

" Fifteen Malaysian pilgrims will only be declared free from contracting Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) if they do not show any signs or symptoms in 42 days after being closely monitored by the Health Ministry.

Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam said at the moment, the pilgrimage are undertaking health inspection to monitor their condition.

“After the “incubation period”, and no signs of symptoms showed, we will declare the virus as not contagious (towards other person),” he told reporters, after witnessing the handing over of six haemodialysis machine to the Haemodialysis Unit at Hospital Kajang here today.

Malaysia recorded its first MERS-CoV fatality when a man who returned from performing the umrah (minor haj) died die to the virus on April 13.

In this fatal MERS-CoV case, also the first in Asean, the 54-year-old man from Batu Pahat, Johor who returned from the Holy Land on March 29 complained of fever, cough and breathing difficulties for 10 days and was admitted to the Sultanah Nora Ismail Hospital on April 10.

The minister said investigations found the cause of death was severe Pneumonia Secondary to MERS-CoV.

Subramaniam said the ministry are now carrying preventive measures such as monitoring those who has close contacts with the victims.

In an earlier report, Subramaniam said for the time being, the source and method of the MERS-CoV infection has yet to be identified and also there were no vaccines available for the infection.

“We were told the victim who was a diabetic had visited a camel farm but it could not be confirmed whether the virus was contracted from the animals,” he said."

No comments:

Post a Comment