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Insights Into Saudi's MERS Variant 🦠
The latest genetic shifts
Dr. Shreya Jani
May 16, 2024
Hey, remember when COVID-19 turned our world upside down? It felt like we were living in a sci-fi movie. And now, just when we thought things couldn't get any crazier, a new variant enters the scene, like a plot twist we never saw coming.
With MERS-CoV causing ripples in Saudi Arabia, it's like we're living in a real-life medical thriller.
Investigations are being carried out to unravel the genetic traits of the new variant, its impact on individuals, and measures to curb its spread.
Keep an eye out for updates it's unfolding like an intriguing medical puzzle!
Challenges of MERS-CoV in Saudi Arabia
The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, or MERS-CoV, has been a public health concern ever since it was discovered in 2012.
Most cases have been reported from the Arabian Peninsula. MERS-CoV epidemics have disproportionately afflicted Saudi Arabia, where recurring surges in cases have resulted in notable morbidity and mortality.
In order to lessen the impact of the virus, public health officials must conduct ongoing research and surveillance due to the introduction of new MERS-CoV types.
What Is MERS-CoV?
MERS, also known as Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome, is a virus that causes serious lung infections.
There had only been two American diagnoses of the illness as of 2018, with the earliest reports coming from Saudi Arabia in 2012.
180 people in the Republic of Korea were impacted by an outbreak in 2015 that was brought in by an infection from Saudi Arabia.
Globally, MERS infections have been recorded from more than 20 nations.
MERS is also known as MERS-Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) syndrome since it is brought on by a virus belonging to the coronavirus family.
People contract MERS mostly from infected camels. In certain cases, it can transmit between individuals in close, unprotected touch.
The majority of cases have been reported in Saudi Arabia, the country of virus origin. It has been determined that infections from travelers to the Middle East have returned to other nations, causing outbreaks.
Roughly one-third of MERS patients who received a diagnosis…