MERS-CoV virus is less likely to spread into epidemics

According to a study by British and Saudi scientists, published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases Journal today, despite high mortality rates, coronary syndrome causes respiratory syndrome in the Middle East (MERS). -CoV) is less likely to turn into epidemics like SARS virus, because this virus is difficult to spread easily .

After studying the symptoms and progression of the disease in 47 patients with MERS infection, the scientists found that the symptoms of MERS were similar to those of SARS such as fever, cough, shortness of breath and a few patients have gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. Both diseases have the same incubation period.

Corona virus.(Photo: khoeplus.net)

However, there are important differences between the two diseases. MERS patients have respiratory symptoms five days earlier than SARS patients. MERS infects mainly in the elderly, men and people suffering from other diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart and kidney disease, while SARS is mainly infected among healthy young people. The mortality rate of MERS infection is about 60%, while SARS is only about 1-2%.

According to a new study on how MERS causes viruses to infect humans, scientists found that the virus often infects low respiratory organs such as the lungs, without infecting the muscles. Upper respiratory organs such as nose and throat. Therefore, experts say this is the reason that this disease is difficult to spread from one person to another.

According to Professor Ali Zumla, of the Department of Infectious Diseases of University College London (UK), it is unlikely that corona virus spreads quickly into a pandemic. The rate of infection of this disease is much slower than that of SARS.

MERS disease was discovered 15 months ago and so far 90 cases have been detected, while SARS spread rapidly, from November 2002 to July 2003, infected 8,000 people. .

While understanding the manifestations, subjects at high risk of getting sick, but this study has not answered important questions such as how to infect and whether the virus originated from wild animals. or not.

MERS disease corona virus appeared in 2012 in the Gulf and has now spread to France, Germany, Italy, Tuynisia and England. So far, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), there have been 45 deaths out of 90 infected people.