HEALTH-MERS/SOUTH KOREA South Korea reports one additional case of MERS

Record ID: 148474

  • Title: HEALTH-MERS/SOUTH KOREA South Korea reports one additional case of MERS
  • Date: 4th July 2015
  • Summary: SEJONG, SOUTH KOREA (JULY 4, 2015) (REUTERS) SOUTH KOREA'S DIRECTOR OF DISEASE PREVENTION CENTER AT KOREA CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, JEONG EUN-KYEONG, WALKING TOWARD PODIUM AS SOUTH KOREAN ASSISTANT MINISTER OF HEALTHCARE POLICY, KWON DEOK-CHEOL, STEPS ASIDE JOURNALISTS SEATED AT NEWS BRIEFING NEWS BRIEFING IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) SOUTH KOREAN DIRE
  • Embargoed: 19th July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVABD2ODQ5VTPD3XXJ87G7SBW0LN
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: South Korea's health ministry on Saturday (July 4) reported an additional case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), bringing the total number of cases to 185.
    "As of July 4, the total number of patients undergoing treatment is 41, 111 patients have been discharged from hospital and 33 people have died. And the total number of confirmed MERS cases is 185. Compared to yesterday, the total number of patients undergoing treatment has declined by one, and two patients left hospital. There are no additional deaths but one additional MERS case has been confirmed," said South Korean Director of Disease Prevention Center at Korea Center For Disease Control And Prevention, Jeong Eun-kyeong, at a daily news briefing.
    As of 0200GMT on Saturday, 30 patients are in stable condition while 11 are unstable, the ministry said.
    No fatalities were reported over the last four days.
    The health ministry added that the new patient was a doctor working in the Samsung Medical Center.
    "The 185th confirmed case is a 25-year-old female doctor working for Samsung Medical Center. She had been giving medical treatment to MERS patients at an intensive care unit from June 11 to 29," Jeong said.
    The ministry said 90 of the 185 MERS cases in South Korea have been traced to the Samsung Medical Center, tarnishing the image of one of the country's most prestigious hospitals.
    The heir-apparent of South Korea's massive Samsung Group bowed in apology during a nationally televised address last month for failing to stop the spread of MERS at Samsung Medical Center run by a group foundation.
    Samsung Medical Center have been criticised after it was revealed that a MERS patient had been in its emergency ward for two-and-a-half days before being diagnosed, coming into contact with nearly 900 people, including staff.
    The hospital later suspended most services when an emergency ward orderly tested positive for the virus after working for a number of days despite having symptoms and coming into contact with more than 200 people.
    The outbreak in South Korea has been traced to a 68-year-old man who returned from a trip to the Middle East in early May and sought medical help at different hospitals before being diagnosed with the MERS virus.
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