Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) Pandemic Newsletter No. 34

TAKE THE LEAD: WORKING TOGETHER TO PREPARE NOW! 

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (July 3) reported the number of suspected cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and again urged the public to pay special attention to safety during travel, taking due consideration of health risks of the places of visit.
 
The CHP was notified of six suspected cases in Hong Kong and all tested negative for MERS Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) upon preliminary testing by the CHP's Public Health Laboratory Services Branch.

To date, 183 MERS cases have been reported by Korea. In addition, another case was exported from Korea to Mainland China. Approximately 36% of reported patients with MERS have died.

Globally, WHO has been notified of 1334 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including at least 471 related deaths.

Inside This Issue:

  1. Take the Lead: Working Together to Prepare Now
  2. MERS Pandemic Preparedness:
  3. The Possibility of a Pandemic is Real
  4. Talking Points on MERS Pandemic Preparedness
  • History
  • Clinical Features
  • Mode of Transmission
  • Incubation Period
  1. Ways of Prevention on MERS

The Serious Response Level under the Government's Preparedness Plan for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is now activated.

"No human infection with MERS-CoV has been identified so far in Hong Kong," the spokesman stressed.The spokesman reiterated that the Government attaches great concern to the spreading rumours on MERS and appealed to members of the public not to divert their attention to these totally unfounded rumours.

MERS PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS:THE POSSIBILITY OF A PANDEMIC IS REAL 

You may already have heard the word ‘pandemic’, and you may be wondering what it really means. It is an outbreak of a new virus that spreads around the world. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which include viruses that may cause mild illness like common cold as well as severe illness like severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in humans.  This is different from any coronaviruses (including SARS-coronavirus) that have been found in humans or animals.

TALKING POINTS ON MERS PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS

Have there been MERS in the past?

This strain of coronavirus that causes MERS was first identified in 2012 in Saudi Arabia. The understanding of the virus and the disease it causes is continuing to evolve.

What are the Clinical Features?

Infected persons may present with acute Infected persons may present with acute serious respiratory illness with symptomsincluding fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. Most patients developed pneumonia. Many also had gastrointestinal symptoms or kidney failure. In people with immune deficiencies, the disease may have atypical presentation such as diarrhoea.

What are the Modes of Transmission?

There is still uncertainty at the moment. People may be infected upon exposure to animals (such as camel), environment or other confirmed patients, (such as in a hospital setting).

Coronaviruses are typically spread like other respiratory infections such as influenza. Based on the current information, MERS-CoV could be spread from person-to-person through close contact. Since April 2014, many cases appeared to be secondary cases which might have been infected from a confirmed patient. These secondary cases were mainly healthcare workers who had taken care of patients suffering from MERS. The majority of them presented with no or mild symptoms and had been infected within healthcare settings. Besides, recent studies support that camels serve as the primary source of MERS-CoV.

How long is the Incubation Period?

Up to 14 days. There is currently no specific treatment for the disease. Treatment is supportive.

WAYS OF PREVENTION ON MERS

Wear surgical mask and seek medical advice promptly if respiratory symptoms develop.

In terms of Personal Hygiene

  1. Keep hands clean
  • Wash hands frequently with liquid soap and water especially after sneezing, coughing or cleaning the nose
  • Rub hands with 70 – 80% alcohol-based handrub if not visibly soiled
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth before washing hands
  1. Cover nose and mouth with tissue paper while sneezing or coughing and dispose of soiled tissue paper in a lidded rubbish bin
  2. Build up good body immunity by having a balanced diet, regular exercise and adequate rest, do not smoke and avoid alcohol consumption

In terms of Environmental Hygiene

Though coronaviruses may survive for some time in the environment, they are easily destroyed by most detergents and cleaning agents. It is important to:

  1. Maintain good ventilation
  2. Avoid visiting crowded places with poor ventilation
  3. Keep our home & workplace clean – clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, furniture, commonly shared items and floor at least once daily by using appropriate disinfectant. For non-metallic surface, clean with diluted household bleach (mixing 10ml of bleach containing 5.25% sodium hypochlorite with 990ml of water), wait until dry and then rinse with water. For metallic surface, disinfect with 70% alcohol.

LET'S GUARD AGAINST MERS! 

STAY ALERT! DON'T PANIC! BE PREPARED!

This information is brought to you by World Health Organization (www.who.int) and the Centre for Health Protection Department of Health Hong Kong. (www.dh.gov.hk )