The “ fast facts “ are changing every week, so no–one, not even the “ experts “, yet know the full facts about MERS.


The Rappler intern calls the MERS Coronavirus ( MERS-CoV ) “ highly infectious “. If it was, there would be far more than the 340 or so cases diagnosed since first recognised two years ago in Jordan. We don’t know the true number, as some cases may have mild or unusual symptoms, but so far there is no evidence of an epidemic.


There’s no vaccine. World Health Organization ( WHO ) doesn’t advise travel / trade restrictions or special screening at points of entry to countries. Recent travellers from the Middle East who develop severe acute respiratory infections with fever, cough, and breathing difficulties ( SARI ) should be tested for MERS-CoV and treated in hospital. Close contacts should be identified. Incubation period may vary between 2 – 14 days.


Most cases now reported seem to be secondary to human-human transmission. It’s expected that cases will continue to be " exported " to other countries. What is unusual for coronavirus infections is the high death rate here ( up to 40%, over 100 ). Bad news for individual patients and their families, but also not good for the virus – its spread is limited.


There’s evidence from the Middle East that camels may be a source of MERS-CoV.


Many coronaviruses cause colds, which are inconvenient but usually not serious. They spread very easily - because they kill very few patients.


SARS ( Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ) was also caused by a coronavirus. It was first diagnosed in China in 2002, with over 8,000 cases. It killed about 800 people – the 10% death rate allowed this virus to spread more easily than the MERS-CoV. SARS was brought under control a decade ago.


All cases of MERS-CoV infection have originated in the Middle East. There are FAR commoner causes of fever ( with / without chest symptoms ) to rule out or treat. These include TB, malaria, and dengue for those living in - or travelling from - the tropics. MOST are due to self-limiting viral infections ; some more severe infections are due to bacteria ( bugs ) and need antibiotics ; others are non infectious and can be hard to diagnose.



By all means take note of MERS-CoV infection. But it needs a sense of proportion. Of all deaths, 2 out of 5 in the Philippines and 1 out of 5 in the UK are from other infections. The majority in BOTH countries are due to " non communicable diseases " like heart and lung diseases and cancer.


http://www.who.int/csr/disease/coron...40424.pdf?ua=1