Saudi Arabia reports seven more MERS-CoV cases, brings global total to 77
The Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) seven additional laboratory-confirmed cases and a death in a previously confirmed case of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) June 26.
According to the update, four cases have been detected among contacts of confirmed cases in Riyadh and the Eastern Region. They range in age from seven to 15 years, and all were asymptomatic. Two further asymptomatic cases have been record among female healthcare workers in the Eastern Region and Al-Ahsa. A seventh case has been detected in a 50 year-old female in the Eastern Region. She is currently hospitalized with pulmonary disease and her condition is considered stable.
The Ministry of Health also reported on the death of a previously reported confirmed case from the Eastern Region (the 32 year-old male first reported on 23 June).
Globally, from September 2012 to date, WHO has been informed of a total of 77 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including 40 deaths.
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This thin section, negatively-stained transmission electron micrograph (TEM) revealed some of the ultrastructural morphology of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), which was formerly known as novel coronavirus. Image/Maureen Metcalfe; Azaibi Tamin
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Interesting about the asymptomatic cases. Likely many more people have been infected, and the death rate is much lower in the general population than in the chronically ill. This could end up being something that only kills the weak and elderly, or some genetically prone small subset. Still it will likely kill tens of thousands during Ramadan due to the unhygienic nature of the population.