The MERS-CoV outbreak in South Korea worsens as third death was reported on Thursday. A 82-year old man died on Wednesday and tested positive for MERS, the health ministry reported.
According to health officials, the man has been hospitalized since early last month after suffering from shortness of breath, cough and fever. Though being treated for asthma and pneumonia, he was hospitalized for days but eventually, tested positive for the potentially-deadly virus, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Meanwhile, public anxiety on the said outbreak is growing as more than 2,300 people are now quarantined as the country tries to fight the deadly virus. Around 1,800 schools are now closed for several days. Most of the schools are located in Gyeonggi province where the outbreak started. The other schools were located in Gangnam region which is near Samsung Seoul hospital, CNN reports.
MERS or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome is a deadly disease that causes respiratory symptoms. It is a relatively new disease discovered in 2012 in Saudi Arabia. Until now, it is still not well understood because experts are still studying its source and mode of transmission.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that most people infected with MERS-CoV developed severe acute respiratory illness, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Many of them have died.
CDC has issued public reminders to prevent the spread. They remind everyone to wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available. Next, people should cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when they cough and sneeze. Also, they should avoid personal contact such as kissing, sharing cups or eating utensils with sick people.
The latest MERS cases has raised the death toll to 1,196, including 481 deaths, based on the latest data from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.