MERS cases rise to 15; soldier quarantined
Health and Welfare Minister Moon Hyung-pyo apologizes during a press conference in Seoul, Sunday, for the government’s poor initial response to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
By Kim Se-jeong
The number of people infected with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) reached 15 Sunday, 11 days after the first case of the illness was confirmed.
Since over 100 people have been in contact with the patients, the cases are likely to increase, experts say.
An Army soldier was quarantined in a military unit in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province, after his mother, whom he visited, turned out to be infected with MERS.
About 30 soldiers in his unit were also quarantined.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare appears ready to take preemptive measures, saying it will put those with a high chance of infection into isolation wards.
Citizens older than 50 or those with chronic diseases such as diabetes or heart or kidney problems would be subject to such isolation.
The ministry said that 42 of the 120 people currently in voluntary quarantine in their homes would be placed in the wards.
The ministry also temporarily shut down a hospital where the first patient stayed and 12 others were infected.
Minister Moon Hyung-pyo apologized for what is seen as a poor response from the government saying, “There were misjudgments on the spread of the virus and some who came into contact with the first patients were omitted from the screening.”
Moon said this week will be critical in determining whether the virus will spread more widely.
Fourteen people are believed to have contracted the disease from the first patient, meaning that there are no cases of secondary contagion so far.
Meanwhile the Ministry of National Defense said the soldier in quarantine met his mother on May 12 during a leave of absence. The woman, a nurse, tested positive with the virus on May 28.
The Army said chances of infection are low because he apparently met his mother before she contacted the first patient.
The soldier has not shown any symptoms.
MERS’ fatality rate is almost 40 percent. No known vaccines or treatments are available.
Since the first confirmed case was reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012, about 1,150 cases have been reported in 24 countries around the world.
The first case in Korea was confirmed on May 20 in a 68-year-old man who showed symptoms after returning from visiting several Middle Eastern countries.
Last weekend, one Korean patient tested positive in Guangdong, China, where he flew after visiting his father in a Korean hospital. He may subject to punishment because he traveled against doctor’s instructions.