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Coronavirus: WHO in touch with UAE
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is in talks with the UAE authorities to trace the path of the deadly coronavirus after a 65-year-old patient was hospitalised in Paris with the Sars-like virus after a visit to Dubai last month. A second person who shared the room with the elderly patient was also diagnosed with the disease.
Despite assurances by the WHO, panic had set in neighbouring Saudi Arabia on Monday. Reports said that scores of people had reported to emergency services at hospitals in the city of Al Ahsa after showing even the slightest signs of a fever.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, WHO’s regional head asked healthcare workers to take all necessary precautions and also keep a watch for signs of the disease in patients.
“We are exchanging information and working together with UAE health authorities to enable them to trace the virus path,” said Dr Jaouad Mahjour, Director Communicable Diseases, World Health Organisation, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (Emro).
The senior official assured that there was no need to panic even as WHO announced a day earlier that the virus could pass from person to person. “Evidence suggests that the virus cannot sustain and has until now transferred from an infected person to one in very close contact, for example, a patient to health worker or father to daughter if she is the caretaker,” he explained.
The death toll in Saudi has hit 15 since the outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) where most cases of the virus have emerged since September 2012. A total of 34 cases have been reported worldwide since the virus was first detected with 18 of the victims dying, according to WHO.
Dr Mahjour also said that the health body did not recommend any travel restrictions at the moment. “Travel restrictions are based on several criteria and the current status of the disease does not call for restrictions,” he added.
He, however, said that it was essential that healthcare workers should take all the necessary measure to protect themselves and look out for possible symptoms in patients. “If physicians see unexplained pneumonia, fever and breathing problems in patients, they should investigate immediately,” added Dr Mahjour.
The new coronavirus can cause acute pneumonia and kidney failure leading to death in immuno-compromised people. Most infected people develop fever, cough and shortness of breath.
The UAE health ministry last week announced that there were no cases of the novel coronavirus reported in the country. Both the Dubai and Abu Dhabi health authorities have said in earlier statements that they are monitoring the situation closely.
(With inputs from agencies)
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