MERS-CoV:โข Teh Forgotten Coronavirus Remains More lethal Then SARS
geneva, Switzerland โฃ – While global attentionโ has largely shifted from the COVID-19 pandemic, another โคcoronavirus -โค Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) โข- continues to pose a significant,โข adn arguably greater, threat to โคthose infected. Though less contagious, MERS-CoV has โa substantially higherโ mortalityโข rate than โthe โSARS-CoV โคvirus that caused the โ2002-2003 outbreakโฃ of โคSevere Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
MERS-CoV can cause a range of illness, from mild โขrespiratory symptoms to severe acute respiratory illness and, โin some cases, death. Gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, have also been reported. Those most vulnerable to severe illness include the elderly,individuals with compromised immuneโ systems,and people with chronic medical conditions. This ongoingโค risk underscores the need for continuedโ surveillance โand research,especiallyโ as new variants emerge and strain global health resources.
The World Health Association (WHO) reported 8,096 probable SARS cases worldwide betweenโข November 2002 and July 2003,resulting in 774 deaths – a mortality rate of 9.6%. Inโข contrast, the WHO estimates that approximately 36% of patients diagnosed with MERS-CoV have โขdied. Though, experts caution this figure likely underestimatesโค the true mortality rate, as milderโ cases of MERS-CoV frequently enough go undetected by โขsurveillance systems, and fatality rates are calculated only from laboratory-confirmed cases.
currently, there are no specific treatments or vaccines available โto combat MERS-CoV, highlighting the urgent need for continued research and development โฃinโฃ this area. MERS-CoV remains less contagious than SARS,but its โฃhigher โขlethality makes it a persistent concern โคfor global public health officials.
