The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Corona Virus (Mers-CoV) has claimed the life of a nurse from Negros Occidental working at the King Fahd Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ma. Gemma Oplas, a resident of Cadiz Heights Subdivision, Cadiz City in Negros Occidental, contracted MERS-CoV at the King Fahad hospital in Riyadh this April 30. She died on May 6.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), previously known as novel coronavirus (nCoV), is a viral respiratory illness, which was first reported in Saudi Arabia, in 2012. The source of MERS is currently unknown, though it is likely to have originated from an animal. Most confirmed cases of MERS-CoV have displayed symptoms of severe acute respiratory illness. Approximately 36% of patients reported to have MERS have died.
Her husband said she underwent dialysis a day before she died and she also underwent a bypass operation earlier.
He said that he last spoke to his wife over the phone last April 30 when she informed him that she had pneumonia and was put in quarantine for Mers-CoV test.
After two days, he was informed that his wife was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit.
He also said that his wife could have been spared if she was able to go home in March. But because the hospital lacks personnel, she was not allowed to go home and her vacation was re-scheduled to last week of June.
As of July 23, 837 laboratory-confirmed cases including 291 deaths have been reported to the World Health Organization. The Department of Health (DOH) has vowed to reinforcing efforts to detect MERS-CoV and other diseases at airports.
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