WHO Calls for More Surveillance, Following Report of Omani Man Who Contracted MERS-CoV

Merge 104.8  |  19 May 2022

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that strong surveillance for acute respiratory infections was needed in the region, after it was notified about a case of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in a 34-year-old man in Oman.

 The man is from Al Dhahirah, and experts say he contracted the disease after he was in contact with animals at his family farm. 

The WHO-issued report called for infection prevention and control (IPC) in healthcare settings, saying that human-to-human transmission of MERS-CoV in healthcare settings, has been associated with delays in recognizing early symptoms of infection, coupled with a delay in implementing IPC measures.