South Korea MERS Outbreak 2015, Death Toll & News Updates: Will Virus Continue to Spread?

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday allayed the fears of thousands of South Koreans, downplaying the possibility of MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) virus outbreak turning into a pandemic.

Keiji Fukuda, an Assistant Director at WHO, was quoted in an Associated Press (via The New York Times) report saying that the South Korea MERS outbreak is "similar" to previous outbreak patterns. He added that there is still no evidence of higher transmittal as the outbreak remains at hospitals and among patients' families. There is even no proof that the virus has spread in a community.

However, Fukuda admitted that more MERS cases are expected since the outbreak is "large" and "complex." Fukuda stressed that the new cases do not mean "new infections." Nor does not mean that the outbreak is becoming "bigger." It also does not mean that the outbreak is finally over. Fukuda then urged the government to continue its "strong" control measures.

As of the latest count, death toll stands at 14. According to a Bloomberg report, the latest casualty from the oubreak was a 67-year old woman who complained about her thyroid problem and high blood pressure. The number of people diagnosed with the virus reached over 130, including the 12 new reported patients. Worldwide death toll totaled to over 400 while worldwide infection stood at more than a thousand. Most cases were recorded in the Middle East.

Thousands of schools in South Korea have also remained closed and thousands of people have already been isolated. The South Korean government has assured that it will continue to boost its efforts, with President Park Geun Hye even cancelling a US trip to ensure that the outbreak remains under control.

"Doctor Shopping" or visiting multiple hospitals was also mentioned by Bloomberg to be one of the contributors to the virus spread. Frequent visits to patients and "overcrowded" emergency rooms have also been mentioned in the report. "What they are doing is basically spreading the infection...They are running into more people and it creates more chances for the infection to go to other people," Fukuda explained (via Bloomberg).

According to a WHO fact sheet, MERS is a "viral respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus (MERS‐CoV) that was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012." Symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, sometimes pneumonia, and even gastrointestinal symptoms. Most of the cases were "human to human infections." Camels have also been identified as an animal source though transmission routes have remained unknown. Bats were believed to be the origin of the virus. No treatment or vaccine is currently available for MERS.