Two Filipino nurses have contracted Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and are now confined at the Intensive Care Unit of a hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman Charles Jose has confirmed the report in a text message to GMA News, adding that the Philippine Embassy received an assurance that the two nurses were receiving the “best medical treatment possible.”
“The hospital is well-equipped with comprehensive treatment and facilities for MERS cases,” Jose said.
Earlier in August, the DFA confirmed that five Filipino paramedics who were reported to have contracted MERS-CoV were “doing well and recovering” while in isolation.
There is an outbreak of MERS-CoV in Saudi Arabian capital recently, forcing the closure of emergency ward at King Abdulaziz Medical City, one of the country’s largest medical facilities.
Researchers at University of Pennsylvania led by Dr. David B. Weiner announced Wednesday it has developed an experimental vaccine able to protect 100 percent of test cases in an animal study.
Trials for human version is expected to be done later this year. [via Source]