A man from Abu Dhabi has been diagnosed with the potentially deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The 28-year-old man, residing in Al Ain city, was admitted to a hospital last month, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Following the confirmation of his infection, health authorities screened 108 individuals who had been in contact with him, but no secondary cases have been reported as of now, as reported by Reuters, citing the WHO.
On 13 June, due to his critical condition, he was transferred to an intensive care unit at a government tertiary hospital and put on mechanical ventilation. On 21 June, a nasopharyngeal swab was taken, and two days later, he tested positive for MERS-CoV, as reported by the WHO.
The man has no medical history of concurrent health conditions or contact with another individual who tested positive for the virus. Additionally, he has not traveled outside the United Arab Emirates recently, according to the WHO.
MERS is caused by the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS‐CoV), which was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012. Coronaviruses belong to a large family of viruses that can lead to various illnesses, ranging from the common cold to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Coronavirus disease-2019 (Covid-19).
Symptoms of MERS-CoV consist of fever, shortness of breath, coughing, diarrhea, and sometimes pneumonia. The virus appears to cause more severe illness in older individuals or those with weakened immune systems and chronic conditions such as renal disease, cancer, chronic lung disease, and diabetes.
As of now, there is no specific vaccine or treatment available for MERS-CoV, but the WHO stated that several MERS-CoV-specific vaccines and treatments are in the development stage.
