WHO to help Saudi Arabia investigate MERS coronavirus before haj.(AA).
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that it would help Saudi Arabia dig deeper into deadly outbreaks of a new SARS-like virus to draw up advice ahead of the annual haj pilgrimage, which attracts millions of Muslims.The U.N. agency, which is not currently recommending any restrictions on travel to the kingdom or screening of passengers at airports or entry points, will sent a second team of experts in the coming weeks, WHO director-general Margaret Chan said.
The virus, which can cause coughing, fever and pneumonia, emerged in Saudi Arabia last year and has been found in 33people there, killing 17. They are among 44 cases and 22 deaths worldwide, according to the WHO, which has called it the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
“Without that proper risk assessment, we cannot have clarity on the incubation period, on the signs and symptoms of the disease, on the proper clinical management and then, last but not least, on travel advice,” Chan told the WHO’s annual ministerial meeting in Geneva.
The WHO, which sent a first team to Saudi Arabia this month, will provide a fresh risk assessment ahead of this year’s haj, which takes place in October.
“We need to get the facts clear and get the appropriate advice to all your countries where your pilgrims want to go to Mecca. It is something quite urgent,” Chan said. The virus has also been found in Jordan, Qatar, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, while isolated cases have been exported to France, Britain and Germany by visitors.
Saudi Arabia said on Friday that tighter controls had helped to stamped out a MERS-CoV outbreak in a hospital in the eastern region of al Ahsa, which infected 22 people, killing 10. Read the full story here.
Related: Will the Hajj pilgrimage unleash the MERS, 'Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome coronavirus' on the world?
But what about the international team sent out for the Hajj in 2012 lead by Prof Ian Lipkin of Columbia? No report was ever published - what tests and autopsies did they carry out then? Though most fatalities are elderly people what about the 43 young Egyptian male pilgrims who died rapidly of a 'repiratory illness' reported in the Egypt Independant? If this second team is to fare any better we need these questions answered surely?
ReplyDeleteHi Carla, thank you for your comment and insight, to be honest i don't expect much 'info' coming out from that visit, there's no way on Earth they would cancel the Hajj pilgrimage this yaer or any other year for that matter.
DeleteWe can take all the protective measures we can the possible& Probable spread of the virus will happen.