Overseas Filipino Workers (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – A Filipino was among 15 new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) recorded in the last week, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health said.
In its March 15 update, the Ministry of Health said those who were found infected were aged 17 to 72.
“The nationalities of the infected were: 10 Saudis, two Sudanese, one Yemeni, one Filipino and one Egyptian,” it said.
Of the new infections, 10 were in Riyadh, two in Al Ihsa, and one each in Jeddah, Qaseem and Tabuk.
On the sources of infection, eight acquired MERS-CoV from the public, five at health care facilities – with two cases involving health care workers – and one from home infection.
Another case is still under investigation.
On the health care facilities where these cases were registered, eight were MoH hospitals, three were university hospitals, two were private sector hospitals, one was in a national guard hospital, and one was in a Ministry of Interior hospital.
The MOH’s Command and Control Center commissioned 2,036 samples from people suspected of having been infected with MERS-CoV.
Also, rapid intervention teams of the ministry had conducted 48 site investigation visits during the week, and its preventive medicine surveillance teams visited 15 homes, in which 101 MERS-CoV suspected cases were put under surveillance. (MNS)