Saudi Arabia's Mecca, the country's holiest city being the home of
Mohammed and site of pilgrimage and travel for millions of Muslims, has
slashed the allowed number of pilgrims to enter its perimeters as a
counter measure to the fatal MERS-CoV virus threat.
Government as well as health officials from Mecca announced the
allowable number of pilgrims to enter the holy city will be reduced to
half for those coming within Saudi Arabia, while the number of foreign
Muslim pilgrims will be slashed to 20 per cent.
This, even as the World Health Organisation (WHO) continued to reiterate that the risk from the MERS-CoV virus threat is "very low."
WHO added that Saudi Arabia does not even need to screen the pilgrims wanting to execute their duties in the holy lands of Mecca as well as Medina.
It also pointed out that it will not issue any recommendations for any travel or trade restrictions to the oil-rich Middle East nation.
"The risk to an individual pilgrim of contracting MERS-CoV is considered very low," Reuters quoted WHO.
New Infections Recorded Belong to Health Workers
Meanwhile, a report has quoted a doctor from the Arab Hygiene Council that four health workers from the UAE are now infected with the MERS-CoV virus.
The four health workers were diagnosed in Abu Dhabi a week ago, news portal 7daysindubai quoted a Dr Muhammad Halwani as saying. One of the new victims even caught the fatal virus from a family member.
Compared with its cousin virus SARS, Dr Halwani said a person suffering from the latter could infect three or four people at the same time with coughs or sneezes.
"With MERS, mostly the patients are only infected with direct contact."
"Usually when a virus does not infect a lot of people, it is more fatal. With SARS, around 10 per cent of people died. With MERS, there is a 51 per cent death rate," Dr Halwani said.
He reiterated earlier health-related warning issued to the elderly who want to perform their holy visits this year, 2013.
"Older people are more susceptible to the MERS-CoV virus and there is advice that the elderly should not travel this year to avoid exposure."
This, even as the World Health Organisation (WHO) continued to reiterate that the risk from the MERS-CoV virus threat is "very low."
WHO added that Saudi Arabia does not even need to screen the pilgrims wanting to execute their duties in the holy lands of Mecca as well as Medina.
It also pointed out that it will not issue any recommendations for any travel or trade restrictions to the oil-rich Middle East nation.
"The risk to an individual pilgrim of contracting MERS-CoV is considered very low," Reuters quoted WHO.
New Infections Recorded Belong to Health Workers
Meanwhile, a report has quoted a doctor from the Arab Hygiene Council that four health workers from the UAE are now infected with the MERS-CoV virus.
The four health workers were diagnosed in Abu Dhabi a week ago, news portal 7daysindubai quoted a Dr Muhammad Halwani as saying. One of the new victims even caught the fatal virus from a family member.
Compared with its cousin virus SARS, Dr Halwani said a person suffering from the latter could infect three or four people at the same time with coughs or sneezes.
"With MERS, mostly the patients are only infected with direct contact."
"Usually when a virus does not infect a lot of people, it is more fatal. With SARS, around 10 per cent of people died. With MERS, there is a 51 per cent death rate," Dr Halwani said.
He reiterated earlier health-related warning issued to the elderly who want to perform their holy visits this year, 2013.
"Older people are more susceptible to the MERS-CoV virus and there is advice that the elderly should not travel this year to avoid exposure."
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