Mohammed Al-Nighais Okaz/Saudi Gazette RIYADH — As many as 1,048 people have contracted the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) since the virus was first discovered in the Kingdom in December 2012, the Health Ministry announced. It said on its electronic website that 462 people have died of the virus while 580 have recovered. The ministry said six people are currently under quarantine and are being treated. According to the ministry, not a single case of coronavirus was registered during the four days of Eid. It, however, said 11 people in various regions have contracted the virus during the holy month of Ramadan. The ministry said it is still making strenuous efforts to contain the disease and prevent its spread. Most of the human infections of MERS have been in Saudi Arabia, with others scattered across Jordan, Qatar, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates. Some cases have also been reported in France, Germany, Italy and Britain, but all have had some links to travel in the Mideast. The Ministry of Health in April announced monetary allowance for medical and paramedical personnel who routinely come into contact with patients suffering from highly infectious diseases. This “hazardous duty” pay supplement will be SR750 monthly and comes after the medical community demanded insurance cover in the wake of the spread of MERS.
