HEALTH-MERS/SOUTH KOREA-NEWSER South Korea announces country effectively out of MERS danger, new hospital measures
Record ID:
146051
HEALTH-MERS/SOUTH KOREA-NEWSER South Korea announces country effectively out of MERS danger, new hospital measures
- Title: HEALTH-MERS/SOUTH KOREA-NEWSER South Korea announces country effectively out of MERS danger, new hospital measures
- Date: 28th July 2015
- Summary: SEJONG, SOUTH KOREA (JULY 28, 2015) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** SOUTH KOREAN ASSISTANT MINISTER OF HEALTHCARE POLICY, KWON DEOK-CHEOL, WALKING TOWARDS PODIUM NEWS BRIEFING IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) SOUTH KOREAN ASSISTANT MINISTER OF HEALTHCARE POLICY, KWON DEOK-CHEOL, SAYING: "We are set to establish comprehensive countermeasures for preventing hospital infection. We will improve nursing systems and overcrowded emergency wards in order to prevent the further spread of the disease and the outbreak of a new kind of infectious disease." KWON STANDING AT PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) SOUTH KOREAN ASSISTANT MINISTER OF HEALTHCARE POLICY, KWON DEOK-CHEOL, SAYING: "We will do our best to cure the remaining 12 MERS patients and support (their) medical costs. For discharged patients, we will keep checking for any complications and provide an aftercare program so that they can get proper medical services." MORE OF KWON STANDING AT PODIUM KWON BOWING AND LEAVING EXTERIOR OF SOUTH KOREAN MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND WELFARE BUILDING SIGN READING (Korean): "MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND WELFARE"
- Embargoed: 12th August 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAEJVPVEJXPKQI3HLC0QHGKOUG3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: South Korea's health ministry announced follow-up measures for hospitals after declaring the country was effectively out of danger from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak on Tuesday (July 28).
Earlier in the day, South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn declared the country effectively out of MERS danger, more than two months after the first case was first reported and began spreading in hospital settings, killing 36 people.
Kwon Deok-cheol, South Korean Assistant Minister of Healthcare Policy ran through measures that would be put in place to prevent any spread of the disease.
"We are set to establish comprehensive countermeasures for preventing hospital infection. We will improve nursing systems and overcrowded emergency wards in order to prevent the further spread of the disease and the outbreak of a new kind of infectious disease," he said.
Twelve people remain hospitalised in South Korea and under treatment for MERS although only one is still testing positive for the MERS virus, the Health Ministry said, adding that no new cases had been reported since July 4. Health experts say the virus has an incubation period of about two weeks.
"We will do our best to cure the remaining 12 MERS patients and support (their) medical costs. For discharged patients, we will keep checking for any complications and provide an aftercare program so that they can get proper medical services," Kwon added.
The outbreak grew to become the largest outside Saudi Arabia, infecting 186 people and, at its peak, putting nearly 17,000 in quarantine. It was traced to a man who returned from a business trip to the Middle East in May.
MERS infection is linked to the same family of corona viruses that triggered a deadly outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003.
British health authorities are investigating two suspected cases of MERS in northern England. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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