Novel coronavirus infection updates

CNN online coverage on this:

The virus is "a threat to the entire world," the WHO's general director said Monday.

It "is not a problem that any single affected country can keep to itself or manage all by itself," Margaret Chan said Monday in her closing remarks at the 66th World Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.

Full article here: edition.cnn.com...

New update from the WHO, dated 29 May.

29 MAY 2013 - The Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia has notified WHO of an additional five laboratory-confirmed cases with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

Full update here: www.who.int...

Stay safe everyone!

Mysterious illness matching symptoms of the novel coronavirus took the lives of 3 teens in Texas. Also, in Alabama, same symptoms, again mysterious illness has taken 2 lives with 5 in the hospital.

Something is up. Natural or unnatural I hope they figure it out.

A friend of my sons was sick about a year ago. Thought he just had the flu, but then got real bad. Luckly he went to an amazing childrens hospital. The infection went through each organ systematically shutting them down. He was in intensive care about a month. It was aweful. He is doing much better thank goodness and all organ functions are back to normal. Was not sure he was going to come out of it. Bacteria and virus' are sure getting combative.

Thank you for posting here. Glad your sons' friend made it through.

Makes you wonder (just like fellow ATSer rickymouse did earlier on this thread), how many of those cold and flu cases were really "regular" cold&flu?

Fresh WHO update:

31 MAY 2013 - The Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia has notified WHO of an additional laboratory-confirmed case with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

...

Globally, from September 2012 to date, WHO has been informed of a total of 50 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including 30 deaths.

Full update here: www.who.int...

So 3 out of each 5 MERS-CoV cases died. Wow!

Stay safe everyone!

Italy reports its first case of coronavirus:

www.reuters.com...

From the article:

A resident of Italy with foreign nationality, the man recently spent 40 days in Jordan where one of his sons was suffering from an unspecified flu.

So now MERS-CoV infections have been confirmed in Germany, France, Great Britain and Italy.

www.subrayado.com.uy...

The Uruguay Health Minister has quarantined a fishing vessel owing to the death of two crew and the illness of a third, from unknown causes. These members of the crew suffered oedema from the lower body extremities, cardiac insufficiency, fatigue and breathing difficulties. It had sailed from China and had stopped for refuelling in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Sources (in Spanish):

This may not be related but it may be important none the less, it seems something is brewing. Either china, India, or the middle east. Were large groups congregate virus' breed and learn our weaknesses

reply to post by mrsdudara

The illness in Texas claimed the lives of two teenagers, the other one was in critical condition, and has since been diagnosed with T-Cell lymphoma. In Alabama, the illness claimed the lives of two, and infected 9-10.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I have also speculated on Coronavirus. They've tested for 30+ diseases, all came back negative. I would imagine Avian Bird-Flu or Swine-Flu would be on that list. It's hard to say; still awaiting the 'results'.

reply to post by MRMIAGI


Judging by the signs, it could be either the nCoV or its... cousin H7N9. I think H7N9 has a better chance to be guilty here, given the sailors are from China.

reply to post by iunlimited491


Or maybe the coronavirus mutated and then of course the tests came back negative. I read somewhere that this nCoV could combine with the H7N9, resulting a new kind of beast.

I believe this MERS-CoV is more important and more dangerous than the H7N9. So let's just hope the Texas infections are of the latter...

Hmm Im sorry, but Ive watched the flu spread year after year. It starts with a few people, then quickly spreads to more and more. This has been a few people here, a few people there in different countries. Nothing before, nothing after. Even if they were the first ones to catch this new bug there should be more popping up all over by now. But there is nothing?? I cant help but think this was an experiment. Different age groups, different areas... same bug? That is beyond unusual. The same flu bug does not just pop up in all these other countries at the same time. Either there is a LOT of information being with held or this is some bad experiment.

reply to post by mrsdudara


From what I understand, most of the infected ones in Europe have been travelling or in direct contact with people who travelled to Saudi Arabia. But yes, I suspect there is more to this than we (will ever) know, especially in the region that started it all, Saudi Arabia...

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And now, 2 more cases in Italy:

Sunday's announcement that two female patients had contracted the virus follows one Saturday that said a 45-year-old man, who had recently traveled to Jordan, had become infected. They are the first three known cases in Italy.

The CNN article does not mention if these 2 female patients are somehow connected to the dude that travelled to Jordan and came back sick. I suspect they are all family or close friends.

Full article here: edition.cnn.com...

According to WHO, the 2 patients are close contacts to the first ever Italy MERS-CoV case.

And now a new update from the same WHO:

5 JUNE 2013 - The Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia has notified WHO of an additional laboratory-confirmed case with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

Globally, from September 2012 to date, WHO has been informed of a total of 54 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including 30 deaths. WHO has received reports of laboratory-confirmed cases originating in the following countries in the Middle East to date: Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). France, Germany, Italy, Tunisia and the United Kingdom also reported laboratory-confirmed cases; they were either transferred there for care of the disease or returned from the Middle East and subsequently became ill. In France, Italy, Tunisia and the United Kingdom, there has been limited local transmission among patients who had not been to the Middle East but had been in close contact with the laboratory-confirmed or probable cases.

Full update can be found here: www.who.int...

Hello ATS!

Sorry for not updating this thread in the last 3 weeks. Things got pretty crowded here.

Back to business, and let's see the latest WHO update on this global danger:

Globally, from September 2012 to date, WHO has been informed of a total of 77 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including 40 deaths. WHO has received reports of laboratory-confirmed cases originating in the following countries in the Middle East to date: Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). France, Germany, Italy, Tunisia and the United Kingdom also reported laboratory-confirmed cases; they were either transferred there for care of the disease or returned from the Middle East and subsequently became ill. In France, Italy, Tunisia and the United Kingdom, there has been limited local transmission among patients who had not been to the Middle East but had been in close contact with the laboratory-confirmed or probable cases.

Full update is here: www.who.int...

So 40 deaths out of just 77 infected. That's a pretty high mortality rate, and I'd hate to see it multiplying. The Hajj is between 13 Oct-18 Oct this year, and I'm thinking this would be the perfect opportunity for the virus to spread. 2012 saw more than 3 millions pilgrims in Mecca (Saudi Arabia).

Stay safe!

reply to post by negue

So 40 deaths out of just 77 infected. That's a pretty high mortality rate

63%...pretty scary (as are the symptoms, as they are easy to ignore until too late).

As mentioned, October could see a real problem, especially if even ONE of those pilgrims is a carrier or infected. Not sure how familiar you are with it, but the WAY the pilgrimage is done around the Kaaba, could mean one person infecting hundreds or more.



Given WHERE this is mostly occurring, I'm surprised we haven't seen cries of this being a bio engineered weapon.

Thank you Gazrok for your contribution to this thread! If Mecca is anything like an orthodox pilgrimage (for those not familiar with that, here's my main concern besides lots of people gathered together: kissing the painted icons), it's not going to be pretty.

Excerpt from the latest WHO update:

7 JULY 2013 - The Ministry of Health (MoH) in Saudi Arabia has announced one additional laboratory-confirmed case and two deaths in previously confirmed cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection in Saudi Arabia. The new case is a 56 year-old female from Hafr Al- Batin city, North-eastern region. She is a health care worker with contact of a previously reported laboratory confirmed MERS-CoV case who subsequently recovered and was discharged. In addition, the two deaths in previously confirmed cases are a 53 year-old citizen from the Eastern Region and a two year-old male from Jeddah. Globally, from September 2012 to date, WHO has been informed of a total of 80 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including 44 deaths.

Full update here: www.who.int...

Also on the WHO site you can find travel advice for MERS-Cov:

Advice to travellers: Although the source of the virus and the mechanism of transmission is unknown, it would be prudent to try to reduce the general risk of infection while travelling by: • Avoiding close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections. • Frequent hand-washing, especially after direct contact with ill people or their environment. • Adhering to food safety and hygiene rules such as avoiding undercooked meats, raw fruits and vegetables unless they have been peeled, or unsafe water. • Avoiding close contact with live farm or wild animals. Travellers to the Middle East who develop symptoms either during travel or after their return are encouraged to seek medical attention and to share their history of travel. People with symptoms of acute respiratory infection should practice cough etiquette (maintain distance, cover coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues or clothing, and wash hands) and to delay travel until they are no longer symptomatic.

Source: www.who.int...

Stay safe!