HEALTH-MERS/SOUTH KOREA South Korea reports one new case in MERS outbreak, no fatalities

Record ID: 148559

  • Title: HEALTH-MERS/SOUTH KOREA South Korea reports one new case in MERS outbreak, no fatalities
  • Date: 3rd July 2015
  • Summary: SEJONG, SOUTH KOREA (JULY 3, 2015) (REUTERS) SOUTH KOREA'S DIRECTOR OF DISEASE PREVENTION CENTER AT KOREA CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, JEONG EUN-KYEONG, STANDING AT PODIUM WITH SOUTH KOREAN ASSISTANT MINISTER OF HEALTHCARE POLICY, KWON DEOK-CHEOL JOURNALISTS SITTING DURING NEWS BRIEFING (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) SOUTH KOREAN DIRECTOR OF DISEASE PREVENTION CENTER A
  • Embargoed: 18th July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA1Y08N8OH9OJO2TVFBXHUVI6CJ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: South Korea's health ministry on Friday (July 3) reported a new case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), bringing the total number of cases to 184.
    "As of now, the total number of patients undergoing treatment is 42, 109 patients have been discharged from hospital and 33 people have died. And the total number of confirmed MERS cases is 184. Compared to yesterday, the total number of patients undergoing treatment has declined by six, and seven patients are left in hospital. There are no additional deaths but one additional MERS case has been confirmed," said Jeong Eun-kyeong, the South Korean Director of Disease Prevention Center at Korea Center For Disease Control And Prevention, at a daily news briefing.
    The health ministry the new case was a nurse who worked at Samsung Medical Center.
    "The newly confirmed MERS patient did not show symptoms of fever or cough. We are conducting epidemiological investigation to check the infection route and contacts. We are presuming that the patient was infected when she was giving treatment to MERS patients in the intensive care unit," Jeong added.
    More than 80 of the 184 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, according to the health ministry.
    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 the medical center run by a group foundation.
    Samsung Medical Center was 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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