MERS-CoV virus can hardly become a pandemic

Although it has caused dozens of deaths since its discovery late last year, the new corona virus originating from the Middle East (MERS-CoV for short) is unlikely to cause a pandemic.

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Despite such comments in the medical journal The Lancet published on July 5, French scientists still warn that it should be vigilant in the case of this virus variant.

According to a research group at the French Pasteur Institute, the analysis showed that MERS-CoV is unlikely to become a pandemic, but the health sector in other countries should raise vigilance and continue to seek shelter in self. course of this virus, especially in poultry.

MERS-CoV belongs to the corona (coronary) strain, which includes viruses capable of causing colds and pneumonia similar to those caused by acute respiratory tract syndrome (SARS) in 2003. SARS was later rapidly quickly spread into a global pandemic, killing more than 800 people.

Since its first appearance in 2012, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) has killed 43 people, including 36 in Saudi Arabia. The way MERS spreads is quite similar to other respiratory infections like the flu, meaning through the air.

Like SARS, MERS syndrome causes pneumonia and people with the virus will experience symptoms such as high fever, cough and shortness of breath. However, unlike SARS, the MERS-CoV virus can cause acute renal failure, a rare symptom for other viruses that cause respiratory infections.

The research leader, Arnaud Fontanet, emphasized: "One of the main lessons we learned from the SARS pandemic is that if it is conquered from an early stage, it is possible to prevent any virus from spreading. spread all over the world ".