In response to newly acquired Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infections among Filipinos living in Riyadh, the Philippines Embassy is reiterating its previous advisories to Filipinos, especially workers in the healthcare sector, to continue taking all necessary precautions and observe health guidelines issued by the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) and the DOH against MERS-CoV.
Filipino workers in the healthcare sector should strictly follow infection control protocols in their workplaces. Despite the considerable decrease in MERS-CoV incidence in Saudi Arabia in recent months, maintaining high vigilance and caution against all types of infectious diseases (including Ebola Virus Disease) is necessary to ensure the safety of loved ones, friends and colleagues, both here in the Kingdom and in the Philippines.
The latest cases include a Filipino man who apparently contracted the virus from his wife. Philippines media source, GMA News reports:
“Our embassy in Riyadh has confirmed that a Filipino there has contracted the MERS virus which he got from his wife who works in a hospital in Riyadh,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said.
“It was the wife who first got MERS and she was confined in a hospital and she got well and when she returned home, after a few days, the husband got infected.”
The man, Jose said, is confined in a Riyadh hospital for treatment. The wife has already recovered from her symptoms.
