DOHA: A 69-year-old Qatari man with a history of chronic illness has tested positive for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), the Supreme Council of Health (SCH) said yesterday.
The patient remains admitted at the Intensive Care Unit of the Hamad General Hospital in critical condition, said the SCH.
This is the third confirmed MERS case in the country since the beginning of this year.
The patient had been suffering from fever for a few days and later developed sore throat and cough and referred to the Hamad General Hospital.
The patient was diagnosed with pneumonia and subsequently MERS during tests conducted at the national reference laboratory.
The SCH has urged the public to follow all the recommended prevention and control measures against MERS.
As a general precaution, people visiting farms, markets, barns, or other places where animals are present have been advised to practice general hygiene, including regular hand washing before and after touching animals, and avoiding contact with sick animals.
People with diabetes, renal failure and chronic lung disease, and immunocompromised persons are considered to be at high risk of severe disease from MERS infection.
Therefore, such people should avoid contact with camels, drinking raw camel milk or eating meat that has not been properly cooked, said the SCH.
The Peninsula
