Gyeonggi Health and Environment Research Institute, 'MERS Prevention Emergency Duty' Ahead of Islamic Pilgrimage

MERS Information Guide

The Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment will begin 24-hour emergency duty from the 23rd of this month until the end of next month to prevent the domestic spread of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) ahead of the Islamic pilgrimage period (Hajj).

The Institute announced on the 19th that according to the Islamic calendar, from the 26th of this month to the 1st of next month, if individuals who have traveled to the Middle East to attend the religious rites at the 'Mecca-Medina-Jeddah' holy sites in Saudi Arabia are classified as suspected cases within 14 days due to fever or respiratory symptoms, researchers on 24-hour standby will immediately conduct rapid testing.

If diagnosed with MERS, patients will be hospitalized in nationally designated isolation beds for intensive treatment. MERS has no developed vaccine or treatment, and high-risk groups include the elderly, those with underlying conditions (diabetes, heart disease, lung disease), and immunocompromised individuals. With a fatality rate of about 30%, rapid testing and early containment are the only ways to prevent domestic outbreaks.

The Institute will also conduct simultaneous testing for COVID-19 and nine types of respiratory viruses in addition to MERS.

Kim Beom-ho, head of the Infectious Disease Research Department at the Institute, advised, "If you have a fever or respiratory symptoms after traveling abroad, to prevent infection transmission, refrain from going out and contact the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency call center at 1339 for consultation before visiting a medical institution." He added, "If you plan to transit through or visit the Middle East, please check the 'Understanding MERS and Traveler Infection Prevention Guidelines' promotional materials on the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency website."

In the past five years, the number of MERS tests conducted by the Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment were 154 in 2019, 52 in 2020, 0 in 2021, 30 in 2022, and 46 as of the end of May 2023. There have been no confirmed MERS cases in Gyeonggi-do since 2015.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.