Jordanian pilgrims free of MERS — health official

AMMAN – Jordanian pilgrims who returned to the Kingdom and underwent medical checkups in the Kingdom did not suffer from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus, an official at the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.  

Health Ministry Spokesperson Hatem Azruie said the ministry had called on pilgrims returning to the Kingdom to visit the nearest hospital or health centre if they noticed symptoms of respiratory system diseases or high temperatures. 

“A total of 10 pilgrims who suffered from severe respiratory system cases reported to health facilities, where they were checked and tests came out negative,” he told The Jordan Times over the phone. 

The ministry official did not provide details of how many pilgrims turned to the Kingdom’s hospitals and health centres. 

Meanwhile, a new MERS case was reported on Tuesday, a 53-year-old, who apparently contracted the disease from another person who was infected with the virus. He is reported in fair condition. 

The infected person increased the total cases to 16 since the latest outbreak of corona earlier this year, nine of whom were cured and six died, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

MERS is a strain of coronavirus that was first identified in 2012 in Saudi Arabia, and is believed to have originated in camels.
Coronaviruses make up a large family of viruses that cause a range of illnesses in humans, from the common cold to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). 

In 2002, SARS epidemic killed nearly 800 people globally.