DOHA: A 40-year old expatriate camel worker has been tested positive for MERS-CoV virus, in the second confirmed case in Qatar since the beginning of this year. The patient was neither in contact with a suspected MERS case nor he has been abroad over the past two weeks, the Ministry of Public Health said yesterday. He is also free from chronic diseases that usually cause immunity suppression.
He was admitted to Hamad General Hospital with common symptoms and was tested positive for MERS-CoV during the routine medical examinations, despite that he did not exhibit any respiratory related symptoms. Currently, the patient’s condition is stable and he is receiving the necessary medical care in the isolation ward, according to the national protocol for infection prevention and control.
Once the case was confirmed, the rapid response team of the ministry carried out extensive search to list all potential contacts, in line with the WHO guidelines. All traced contacts will be monitored over a period of two weeks, while those who develop suspected symptoms will then be subjected to confirmatory laboratory investigation, the ministry said in a statement yesterday.
The ministry has advised citizens and expatriates who suffer from chronic diseases to avoid direct contact with camels and to wash hands with soap and water thoroughly. It has also recommended respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette and boiling camel milk before drinking.
The Health Protection and CDC Hotlines 66740948 and 66740951 are accessible 24/7 to respond to any notification or enquiry related to infectious diseases, said the ministry.
The Peninsula
