Origin | Posted : 2015-06-02 17:10
Updated : 2015-06-02 22:17
By Kim Se-jeong
Rising
fears over Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) have prompted some
schools and kindergartens to temporarily close or cancel outdoor
activities.
Twenty-five patients have been confirmed to have MERS, two of whom have died. The deceased both contracted the virus from the first patient while staying in the same hospital as him. The outbreak started May 20.
A primary school in Gyeonggi Province, close to the hospital where the first death occurred, closed its doors Tuesday due to concerns shown by parents.
"We decided to close the school for four days as parents are worried about the disease," a school official said.
Another 73 elementary schools in the province decided to shut down from Wednesday to Friday. Eleven private kindergartens are also closed through Friday. Education authorities in Gyeonggi Province advised schools to cancel outdoor activities and excursions to prevent students contracting the MERS virus.
Some in Seoul followed suit, canceling trips and outdoor activities.
Calls are mounting for the health authorities to disclose the names and exact locations of the medical facilities where patients are being treated and people being isolated, as the public are playing guessing games and false rumors are spreading.
However, the government refused to do so, saying it would create unnecessary panic. It has only disclosed the information to medical service providers.
Out of the 23 patients, two were infected with the virus at a hospital where the 16th patient stayed. This was the first infection to take place outside the first patient's hospital, raising concerns over a possible pandemic.
"Tertiary infections from other patients may rise, but this doesn't mean the public is in danger. All the confirmed patients are already in hospitals," Health Minister Moon Hyung-pyo said in a media briefing in Seoul.
Health officials said more than 750 people have been quarantined in their homes or medical facilities after coming into contact with patients. But the number is likely to snowball after the tertiary infection was confirmed.
Those who are 50 or older or have chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart problems are being hospitalized in the facilities.
Cheong Wa Dae formed a taskforce to monitor the development of the outbreak around the clock.
Earlier, interim Prime Minister Choi Kyung-hwan assured the public that the government is responding promptly to contain the spread of the virus.
The government said it will give financial support to those who can't earn a living due to the quarantine. It will also give technical support to medical centers so that people with symptoms can be tested quickly.
The MERS virus is thought to be carried by camels, but it is airborne. The first outbreak happened in 2012. Symptoms include fever and respiratory problems. There is currently no cure available.
Twenty-five patients have been confirmed to have MERS, two of whom have died. The deceased both contracted the virus from the first patient while staying in the same hospital as him. The outbreak started May 20.
A primary school in Gyeonggi Province, close to the hospital where the first death occurred, closed its doors Tuesday due to concerns shown by parents.
광고
Another 73 elementary schools in the province decided to shut down from Wednesday to Friday. Eleven private kindergartens are also closed through Friday. Education authorities in Gyeonggi Province advised schools to cancel outdoor activities and excursions to prevent students contracting the MERS virus.
Some in Seoul followed suit, canceling trips and outdoor activities.
Calls are mounting for the health authorities to disclose the names and exact locations of the medical facilities where patients are being treated and people being isolated, as the public are playing guessing games and false rumors are spreading.
However, the government refused to do so, saying it would create unnecessary panic. It has only disclosed the information to medical service providers.
Out of the 23 patients, two were infected with the virus at a hospital where the 16th patient stayed. This was the first infection to take place outside the first patient's hospital, raising concerns over a possible pandemic.
"Tertiary infections from other patients may rise, but this doesn't mean the public is in danger. All the confirmed patients are already in hospitals," Health Minister Moon Hyung-pyo said in a media briefing in Seoul.
Health officials said more than 750 people have been quarantined in their homes or medical facilities after coming into contact with patients. But the number is likely to snowball after the tertiary infection was confirmed.
Those who are 50 or older or have chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart problems are being hospitalized in the facilities.
Cheong Wa Dae formed a taskforce to monitor the development of the outbreak around the clock.
Earlier, interim Prime Minister Choi Kyung-hwan assured the public that the government is responding promptly to contain the spread of the virus.
The government said it will give financial support to those who can't earn a living due to the quarantine. It will also give technical support to medical centers so that people with symptoms can be tested quickly.
The MERS virus is thought to be carried by camels, but it is airborne. The first outbreak happened in 2012. Symptoms include fever and respiratory problems. There is currently no cure available.
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