Britain reports 2 suspected MERS cases
Xinhua, July 28, 2015 Adjust font size:
The Manchester Royal Infirmary has confirmed that its accident and emergency department (A&E) was temporarily shut down Monday due to the investigation of two suspected cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).
A spokesman of the hospital said its A&E reopened after the two patients were isolated for on-going management of their condition while tests took place. One patient has now been relocated to North Manchester General, and "results of the tests are still pending".
"We would like to reassure our patients and the general public that there is no significant risk to public health," the spokesman also said.
MERS is a viral respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus that was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012.
Typical MERS symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath, and approximately 36 percent of reported patients with MERS have died, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The virus does not seem to pass easily from person to person unless there is close contact, according to the WHO. Endit