The MERS coronavirus has claimed the life of a 57-year-old Saudi man, according to the Health Ministry on Friday. The man from Riyadh was not a health professional and had a pre-existing illnesses.
This takes the death toll to 403 since the disease was first identified in 2012. The ministry also announced that a 59-year-old woman from Jeddah and a 48-year-old expatriate woman from Riyadh were infected.
Meanwhile, the ministry has launched a new MERS awareness campaign across all media platforms under the theme, “We Can Stop It,” said ministry spokesman Khalid Al-Mirghalani. The program on YouTube encourages people to take preventative measures.
The Philippine government said on Friday that three Filipinos have contracted the coronavirus while working at separate hospitals in Saudi Arabia.
Al-Mirghalani said that the ministry has set up a 24-hour hotline on the number 937. Callers can get information on MERS and are guaranteed complete confidentiality.
MD Rasooldeen - Arab News
