Health dept warns of a new viral disease

Health department issues advisory to take preventive measures against new infection containing Noval Coronavirus.

RATODERO:

The health department has sent an advisory to health officers and medical superintendents in all major hospitals in Sindh asking them to take preventive measures against a new infection containing Noval Coronavirus.

The infection first surfaced in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and 17 cases of the disease, resulting in 11 deaths, have been reported so far. It has not travelled to Pakistan as yet. The advisory, which was issued by National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, contains the latest information on the infection to assist health professionals in detecting it if it does spread to Pakistan.

Of the 17 cases of the disease that have emerged so far, nine were from Saudi Arabia, two were from Qatar, two were from Jordon, three from London and one from UAE. Most of the people suffering from the infection developed severe respiratory problems, including short breathing, coughing and pneumonia.

NIH has advised people travelling to Saudi Arabia, particularly those travelling for Hajj or Umrah, to take precautionary measures against the disease. It has also advised hospitals to evaluate people who develop severe respiratory problems within 10 days of travelling to Soudia Arabia or its neighbouring countries according to the criteria specified by the organisation.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 21^st, 2013.