Death toll of new coronavirus rises to 31

The Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia has notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of another death from Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), bringing the death toll caused by the new coronavirus up to 31, the WHO said Friday. WHO said in its latest update that the latest patient is a 83-year-old man with underlying medical conditions, who became ill on May 27 and died on May 31. He is from Al-Ahsa, where an outbreak began in a health care facility on April, 2013. Globally, WHO has been informed of a total of 55 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV from September 2012 to date. WHO spokesman Glenn Thomas said that a WHO expert team is currently in Saudi Arabia helping the government investigate the outbreak. The mission is expected to conclude their work by Sunday. Based on the current situation and available information, WHO encouraged all member states to continue their surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and to carefully review any unusual patterns. It also suggested that recent travellers returning from the Middle East who develop SARI should be tested for MERS-CoV. Specimens from patients' lower respiratory tracts should be obtained for diagnosis where possible. Health care facilities were reminded of the importance of systematic implementation of infection prevention and control (IPC). Health care facilities that provide care for patients suspected or confirmed with MERS-CoV infection should take appropriate measures to decrease the risk of transmission of the virus to other patients, health care workers and visitors, the WHO said.