RIYADH — The Ministry of Health registered 21 positive cases of MERS-coronavirus last week (Aug. 9-15, 2015) with 20 of the cases in Riyadh and one in Abha. The ministry, while announcing the new cases, said 844 samples were tested for coronavirus in its laboratories during the same period, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The cases included five from the Ministry of Health hospitals and 16 from other health sectors.
The Command and Control Center of the ministry is continuing its efforts in epidemical monitoring around the clock and ensuring that government and private health facilities are implementing measures for combating infection.
The center is also coordinating with the concerned government sectors and international health organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO) to follow up on the latest developments on coronavirus.
The ministry, in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture, is carrying out awareness campaigns on coronavirus in places where camels are herded and among camel owners and herders while asking them to take precautions when dealing with camels.
The ministry confirmed that it will keep the preparations in place and continue to cooperate with all parties to combat the disease.
The ministry said the number of visits by public health teams to people who came in contact with positive cases was 21, while 119 follow-ups were made to people who came in contact at home with positive cases.
The ministry disclosed that the total number of confirmed cases since the beginning of the appearance of the disease reached 1,072. Of these, 54.8 percent or 588 cases were cured.
Meanwhile, 25 cases are still under treatment, apart from four cases that are isolated at home. Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause colds, and in some cases can cause severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). — SG
