Thai health authorities on high alert against MERS-CoV 2012

BANGKOK, April 17 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Public Health has ordered public health offices nationwide to be on high alert against the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), or the coronavirus 2012, especially those coming from 11 countries where there were reports of the new fatal virus. Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr. Narong Sahametapat told journalists on Thursday that he has made the instruction in response to a recent warning issued by the Thai Consulate-General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for Thai people in western Saudi Arabia to protect themselves from MERS-Cov, after a patient of the deadly disease was reported in the Saudi city. Dr. Narong insisted that his ministry has been watching out for any, possibly, outbreak of MERS-CoV in Thailand, after the first patient was reported in Jeddah on September 20, 2012. Although no patients of MERS-CoV have been found in Thailand so far, Dr. Narong acknowledged that concerns remain, as new patients were continually reported in 11 countries, including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Britain, the United Arab Emirates, France, Tunisia, Germany, Italy, Oman and Kuwait, with the highest number of patients recorded in Saudi Arabia. The Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) reported, meanwhile, that until April 16, 2014, 238 people were diagnosed with MERS-CoV, 92 of whom died. (TNA)