Thailand: First MERS case, maximum alert against the spread of the virus
Bangkok (AsiaNews) - The Thai government has confirmed the first official case of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), the deadly virus that has already killed 24 people in South Korea and set off the alarm for a possible spread to other countries the continent. The man, whose identity was not revealed, is now in quarantine at Bamrajnaradur Hospital, a facility specializing in infectious diseases, located in Nonthaburi province.
According to Thai state health authorities, the infected person is a 75 year old businessman native of Oman, who was in the country for medical treatment for heart problems in a hospital in the capital. He entered the country on 15 June.
Government authorities are taking precautionary measures to try to contain the spread of the virus by identifying so far at least 60 people who entered into direct contact with the patient. Among them are three relatives of the 75 year old, who accompanied him on this trip to Thailand.
The South-East Asian nation is a popular destination throughout the continent (and beyond) for healthcare tourism. Every year hundreds of people from the Middle East come to specialized centers in Bangkok for the treatment of various diseases, from infertility to cardiovascular problems.
In an official statement the Thai Minister of Health Ratchata Ratchatanawin urged people "not to panic" because the situation is under control "according to the standards set by the World Health Organization." He adds that the “first patient" suffering from Mers in Thailand "for the moment is stable."
However, critics say the authorities wasted at least four days - and two laboratory tests - to confirm the first case of Mers; the fear is that the virus, meanwhile, may have infected other people.
The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome is caused by the coronavirus and looks like a disease very similar to Sars – which flared up in 2003 – it killed at least a thousand people. However, the Mers virus would be far more deadly than the previous one: in fact, the death rate is around 50%, compared with 10% of SARS., and at present there are no vaccines or specific treatments.
South Korea, the first Asian country to be hit by the virus, has so far registered 24 deaths and at least 166 cases of infection. At the moment there are thousands of people in quarantine, in an attempt to stop its spread. According to health authorities in Seoul the number of infections is decreasing, confirming the fact that the infection is slowing. Margaret Chan, head of WHO, is currently in the Korean capital and has expressed optimism about the ability of the executive to reduce the spread of the virus, "even if it takes a little 'more time than expected."
.png)
