Two MERS patients to be discharged in north

By Evie Andreou

TWO of the ten patients suspected to suffer from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), are to be discharged, the Turkish Cypriot hospital treating them in the north announced on wednesday.

The announcement said that the two patients’ symptoms have disappeared and a process was underway for their discharge.

The hospital also announced that the condition of a patient who was considered as serious on Tuesday was in a more stable condition and the condition of the other patients is also showing progress.

A definite diagnosis can only be made after the results of the tests are ready by the end of the week, the hospital said, and that at present the patients are treated as if they had the disease and that all indicated procedures are being taken.

On Sunday, the death of an 83-year-old woman, who had returned from a pilgrimage from Saudi Arabia, caused panic in the north after suspicions she had MERS.

Six other people who also returned from Saudi Arabia had complained of respiratory problems and were placed in quarantine, while the Turkish Cypriot side had announced they were to locate all of the passengers that were on board the same flight so they could be tested.

Tissue samples from the dead woman have been sent to a lab in Turkey to determine the exact cause of death.

Turkish Cypriot ‘health minister’ Ahmet Gülle earlier in the week was reported as saying that there was no need for panic and urged people with MERS symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath, vomiting, and diarrhea) to go to hospital and seek treatment.

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