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Mers crisis ‘almost over’

Haj pilgrims returning to the UAE will not be monitored for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers-CoV) immediately, but cases will be investigated if they present at hospitals for flu-like symptoms.

A source at the infection control committee monitoring the spread of the virus in the country said the decision was taken keeping in mind the fact the ‘crisis was almost over.’

“So far since the pilgrims have returned on Thursday and Friday, no suspected cases have been discovered,” said the source. “We, are however, giving them a two week incubation period since that is the longest period the virus takes to emerge,” added the source.

“The crisis we were afraid of is almost over.”

He also said 12 hospitals in Dubai were reporting on suspected cases each day and until now, they have had zero reporting. “If there is a suspected case, it has to be investigated and reported within 12 hours.”

“It is practically impossible to check each and every one of the returning pilgrims since they are in the thousands,” said the source, but if high-risk groups such as old people and pregnant women came to hospital with flu-like symptoms, they would be closely monitored. “So far, data shows everything is okay.”

This year’s Haj, the annual Muslim pilgrim to Saudi Arabia, was termed critical by the World Health Organisation (WHO) due to the looming Mers virus that has claimed at least 58 lives — mostly in Saudi Arabia — since it first emerged in 2012.

The UAE also had asked the elderly and those with underlying chronic conditions to avoid Haj this year if possible.

The identified symptoms of Mers include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath and muscle pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhoea and vomiting and can also lead to organ failure. Two UAE nationals have died due to complications resulting from the virus.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com