Researchers demonstrate that MERS has a strong ability to spread

In a new study published in the July 8 issue of The Lancet, scientists discovered a patient who caused a "super-infection" in an emergency room with a large number of patients at a hospital in Korea. National.

The patient spread the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus to 82 other people in just three days of the MERS outbreak in South Korea in 2015.

Research shows that infected people include other patients, relatives and health workers. The situation was more serious because the hospital was very crowded.

Scientists said the results showed that the risk of MERS outbreaks was only from a single person who transmitted the disease.

This is also a warning for governments and health professionals to take appropriate measures in the context of this deadly virus still spreading in the Middle East.

The risk of MERS outbreaks is only from a single person who transmits the disease.(Source: cbc.ca).

The first human case of MERS infection was discovered in 2012 and has spread widely in Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries. This infection is caused by a coronavirus (MERS-Cov) in the same strain as the SARS. The virus has spread to 27 countries and caused death rates of up to 40% of cases.

In the MERS outbreak in South Korea in May-July 2015, 186 cases were recorded within two months and the number of deaths reached nearly 40 cases.

"Source patient" or "first patient" is a 68-year-old man, who has been to Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and Qatar since April 18 - May 3 before Return to Korea.

On May 17, he visited the Samsung Medical Center, a large hospital with an emergency room that accepts more than 200 patients every day. The patient was then quarantined for suspected MERS infection and diagnosed on May 20.

But before going to the medical center, "The first patient" transmitted the virus to a number of people in other hospitals, including a 35-year-old woman who was considered "The 14th Patient" who treated the same room with him.

On May 27, "Patient 14" was admitted to Samsung Medical Center and no one knew this person was at risk of exposure to MERS and it was this patient who caused MERS to spread at Samsung Hospital.

In a re-investigation, including a closed-loop video review and hospital medical data, researchers estimated 1,576 people were exposed to "14-Patients" in the emergency room. Samsung hospital. Of these, 33 patients, 8 health workers and 41 relatives visited were infected with MERS in just three days, from 27-29 May.