Be careful if you are about to travel into the Middle East. There is a virus that is going round, liken to SARS, which can be fatal.
Observe proper precautions especially on hygiene. WASH THOSE HANDS with alcohol-based handwash, frequently.
Get away from coughing and sneezing people when travelling into the Middle East.
Stay away from crowded places.
JUST BE SAFE
JPJhermes, Nagpapatrol
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Pinoy nurse tests positive for MERS virus, first case in PHL
By IBARRA MATEOApril 16, 2014 4:43pm
A Filipino male nurse has been confirmed to be the first reported case of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus in the Philippines, Health Secretary Enrique Ona announced Wednesday.
The nurse, who was exposed to the Filipino paramedic who died from MERS last week in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), had been tested while he was there and the positive results came out upon his arrival in the country on Tuesday, Ona said.
He did not attend to the patient who died and did not exhibit any symptoms of the disease upon arrival, Ona added.
The nurse returned to the Philippines with his wife, two children, and helper, Ona said. Five people fetched them from the airport, and all of them were quarantined due to possible exposure to the MERS virus.
The virus has a 10- to 14-day incubation period, and the results of new tests done by the Department of Health (DOH) are expected to be available by Friday, Ona said.
“Hindi pa ito talagang confirmed na results kaya we need to do some more tests kasi tawagan lang ang nangyari sa UAE. That’s also the reason bakit quinarantine natin sila,” Ona said during the briefing.
The DOH is now conducting “contact tracing” of 12 passengers seated near the male nurse inside the plane to find out if they were exposed to the virus, he added.
“It will certainly depend on the seat arrangement if he is in the middle we have to trace those in the front or back. At the same time, we will check other people na nagkaroon ng possible contact,” said Dr. Emmanuel Labella, director of the Bureau of Quarantine, at the same briefing.
MERS is a novel virus often referred to as the Middle East’s own version of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Symptoms of MERS include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and even diarrhea. It was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/357189/news/nation/pinoy-nurse-tests-positive-for-mers-virus-first-case-in-phl