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Singapore ‘closely monitoring’ respiratory coronavirus after death in Malaysia

A microscopic image of the MERS-CoV. (Desination Sante photo)

Hospitals in Singapore are on alert and are testing patients who show symptoms of a travelling respiratory coronavirus that has claimed the life of one man in Malaysia so far.
 
In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health said the Malaysian who succumbed to what is called the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) had travelled to Saudi Arabia on an Umrah pilgrimage — one that is done on a smaller scale compared to the better-known Hajj.
 
According to Malaysian newspaper The Star, the 54-year-old was from Batu Pahat in Johor, and he had returned to the country on 29 March. He was hospitalised on 10 April with fever, cough and breathing difficulties, and he died three days later.
 
The MERS-CoV is a virus that causes severe respiratory illness in infected patients. First reported by the World Health Organisation in September 2012, some 238 cases of the disease have since been recorded, with 92 deaths resulting from it.
 
While no cases of the MERS virus have been found in Singapore yet, the health ministry says "the possibility of an imported case here cannot be ruled out”.
 
“The risk of an outbreak in the community here is low as sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus has not been reported,” said the MOH, which added that any suspected or confirmed cases will be isolated and managed under strict airborne infection control precautions.
 
It notes, however, that there is no travel advisory against countries of the Arabian peninsula or to countries reporting cases of MERS-CoV, including Malaysia.
 
Frequent travellers to the Middle East as well as Umrah and Hajj pilgrims are advised to be vaccinated against influenza and meningitis, with those above 65 years old to also be vaccinated against pneumococcal infections.

If you have recently returned from the Middle East or any areas reporting cases of MERS-CoV and fall ill with fever and cough, wear a surgical mask and seek medical attention immediately, and inform the doctor where you have travelled to.
 
To date, Singapore has investigated 33 suspected cases of the MERS virus here, but they have all tested negative.

Separately, the Philippines has its first confirmed case of MERS-CoV from a health worker whose blood tested positive after returning from the United Arab Emirates. He has not yet shown any symptoms of the disease, but has nonetheless been isolated, with people in close contact with him traced and quarantined.