The Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) has reported two new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in patients from Riyadh and Taif, according to a MOH news release today.
Image/Saudi MOH
Both patients are being treated in intensive care. The patient from Taif is a 43-year-old male with preexisting conditions, while the patient in Riyadh is a 38-year-old female.
This brings the total MERS-CoV cases in the Kingdom to 729, including 302 fatalities.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is viral respiratory illness first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. It is caused by a coronavirus called MERS-CoV. Most people who have been confirmed to have MERS-CoV infection developed severe acute respiratory illness. They had fever, cough, and shortness of breath. About 30% of people confirmed to have MERS-CoV infection have died. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page
