No cases of Sars-like virus registered in UAE

Commenting on news reports about a man in France who was diagnosed with NCoV after his return from a trip to the UAE between 9 and 17 April, the source said the Ministry was collaborating with concerned authorities in and outside the UAE, including French health authorities and the WHO.

The WHO confirmed that the virus is not a concern for public health at the moment, and that the current situation does not require to ban travel to any country in the world or screenings on different ports and do not impose any restrictions on trade.

It asked all national authorities to promptly assess and notify the WHO of any new NCoV cases within 24 hours.

“The Ministry of Health reassures that there are very limited diagnosed cases world-wide. There is no need for panic as the Ministry is closely monitoring the situation and taking the necessary precautions to guarantee public safety,” added the sources.

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Clinics told to watch out for Sars-like symptoms

A 65-year-old Frenchman has contracted the deadly Sars-like virus after a nine-day holiday in Dubai, international news agencies said on Wednesday.

Following the development, local authorities urged health institutions to investigate any cases of people with unexplained pneumonia as France reported its first case of the novel coronavirus that has raised new public health concerns since it emerged in the Middle East last year. The virus can cause acute pneumonia and kidney failure in immuno-compromised populations.

Agencies said the patient had returned to Paris on April 17 after having spending nine days in Dubai as part of a package tour but it was not clear where he contracted the virus. On April 29, he was shifted to the isolation ward, they reported.

A spokesperson for the Dubai Health Authority said that they had kept a close eye on situation since the disease outbreak last year. “We urge health institutions to investigate any cases of people who have symptoms of serious lung infection like pneumonia and this is a protocol that is being followed internationally. Besides, health and other relevant authorities in the UAE are taking all necessary measures,” said the spokesperson.

Since September 2012, Saudi Arabia has reported 23 confirmed cases of which seven have died, Qatar two, Jordan two, Britain two and the UAE one.

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Vigil as new coronavirus case is identified in Paris

Local authorities have urged health institutions to investigate any cases of people with unexplained pneumonia as a new case of the respiratory SARS-like virus has emerged in a patient who had travelled from the UAE to Paris.

An overview The novel coronavirus is not the same virus that caused severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003. However, like the SARS virus, the novel coronavirus is most similar to those found in bats. From April 2012 to April 2013, a total of 27 people from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UK, and the UAE were confirmed to have an infection caused by the novel coronavirus. Most infected people developed severe acute respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Only two people experienced a mild respiratory illness. WHO and CDC have not issued travel health warnings for any country related to novel coronavirus. There are no specific treatments for illnesses caused by the novel coronavirus. Medical care is supportive and to help relieve symptoms. – information courtesy CDC.

They said this protocol was being followed internationally, adding that all necessary measures were being taken to keep the virus at bay in the country. International news agency AP reported on Wednesday that the novel coronavirus case was the first in France and that the traveller had come from the UAE. Currently, the person –a French citizen- is in an isolation ward in an undisclosed location, said the report, adding that he was a tourist who was on a nine-day visit to Dubai.

Either the Ministry of Health or the Abu Dhabi Health Authority (Haad) was not available for comment until the time of the report going into print. The Dubai Health Authority, on the emirate-level, said that they had kept a close eye on the situation since the World Health Organisation (WHO) first reported the disease outbreak last year. “The Dubai Health Authority, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, is closely following the WHO and Centre of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC USA) protocols. All health institutions are aware of the virus and its symptoms.

We urge health institutions to investigate any cases of people who have symptoms of serious lung infection like pneumonia and this is a protocol that is being followed internationally. Besides, health and other relevant authorities in the UAE are taking all necessary measures. International and national authorities are closely monitoring the situation,” said a DHA spokesperson.

On Wednesday, the WHO said that since September 2012, Saudi Arabia has reported 23 confirmed cases of which seven had died, while Qatar, Jordan and Britain have two cases each and the UAE has one.

The new coronavirus, first identified last year in the Middle East, can cause acute pneumonia and kidney failure. Authorities are also trying to determine how humans are contracting the virus though it does not appear to be as contagious as SARS or the flu though it has been spreading among people in close contact. In 2003, SARS or severe acute respiratory syndrome killed around 800 people worldwide. Of now, the WHO has not issued any travel guidelines to any of the affected countries including Saudi Arabia.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com