Saturday, December 10, 2016

MERS-CoV in Oman


Outside of several cases of Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) recently appearing in Saudi Arabia, there was a another confirmed case that just appeared in Oman. The original report of the case came from the National IHR Focal Point of Oman. The case was a 67-year-old male, who began exhibiting symptoms on November 18th. Symptoms of MERS-CoV include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Also commonly linked to the viral infection is pneumonia.

Lucky for the for the male, he was discharged from the hospital in stable condition. The viral infection has proven fatal, sporting a mortality rate of 36%. The infected male had a history of exposure to animals including cows, camels and goats within two weeks of symptom onset, likely representing the source of infection. Tests are currently being carried out on local camels. In all, he is the eight confirmed person to develop the illness in the tiny nation.

Ahmed Mustafa (’18)




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