MERS worry as Hajj dates approach

The spike in cases of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus is worrying because of the upcoming annual pilgrimage, according to a top doctor. Hanan Balkhi, head of the Health Ministry’s national scientific committee of infectious diseases, said that even if Haj pilgrims were tested, it was not possible to get a true picture […]

The spike in cases of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus is worrying because of the upcoming annual pilgrimage, according to a top doctor.
Hanan Balkhi, head of the Health Ministry’s national scientific committee of infectious diseases, said that even if Haj pilgrims were tested, it was not possible to get a true picture of infections before there was an incubation period.
Balkhi said that there appeared to be fewer cases at the National Guard Hospital in Riyadh where there was a recent spike in cases, which resulted in several deaths, a local publication reported on Wednesday.
This comes as the ministry announced on Wednesday that there were three more people found infected with MERS, while five had recovered. This means that there have already been 23 cases of infection and 11 deaths since Sunday.