UAE JOINING IN BATTLE TO FIGHT SPREAD OF DEADLY MERS CORONAVIRUS
Dr Salwan Ibrahim, Middle East medical director
for International SOS, a company of experts in global health issues, said the
centre in Dubai had received an influx of calls from employers in the UAE and
other regional countries.They were concerned about the recent rise in
infections and asked for guidance on measures to put in place to minimise risk
to their employees.“Alongside the surge in Mers cases that occurred in April,
we can see that organisations are beginning to take the necessary precautions
to fulfill their duty of care to their employees living in and travelling to
the region,” he said.“Alongside the incoming calls, we are working with a
number of clients to assess their outbreak business continuity and pandemic
plans.”
Dr Ibrahim welcomed businesses taking
responsibility for the welfare of their employees.“Businesses are taking their
duty of care seriously and ensuring they are taking a proactive approach to
ensure their workforce operates safely and responsibly in the region, in line
with the guidance of the relevant health authorities.”Dr Ibrahim said it was
important that companies helped raise awareness of the disease and educated
their employees on basic infection control.“Although there is no indication
from the authorities that Mers can be spread easily from human to human,
clients are being proactive in working with International SOS to review their
outbreak business continuity and pandemic plans,” he said.
“All corporation and private companies are
advised to be proactive in putting in place plans for managing the possible
outbreaks. This is not only to ensure business continuity but also to raise the
awareness of their employees to the best recommended infection prevention and
control methods, as well as keeping them updated with the most up-to-date
information about the virus status.”The UAE has had 37 lab-confirmed Mers cases
since late March, all in Abu Dhabi, with more than two-thirds being healthcare
workers. Most of those recently infected had mild symptoms or none at all.Worldwide,
Mers has infected at least 536 people and killed 145 since its first known case
was discovered in 2012.The number of Mers cases has almost doubled in recent
months, with by far the most being in Saudi Arabia. Recent cases in Abu Dhabi
make the UAE the second most prevalent country for the disease.
“That said, businesses are right to be taking
the necessary precautions. We are calling on all clients to ensure their
employees – based internationally, as well as the Middle East – have the
information they need to minimise the risk of infection, such as frequent hand
washing, use of hand sanitisers, avoiding direct contact with live animals and
their environment and ensuring any food or drink for consumption is thoroughly
washed, peeled, boiled and cooked.”He said International SOS, the WHO and other
health authorities were urging vigilance in all Middle East countries to
prevent further outbreaks of the deadly disease.To date, the affected countries
in the Middle East include Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE
and Yemen; in Africa: Egypt and Tunisia; in Europe: France, Germany, Greece,
Italy and the United Kingdom; in Asia: Malaysia and the Philippines; and in
North America.About 65 per cent of Mers cases have been male and the average
age of patients is 49. About 27 per cent of those infected have died.Symptoms include fever, shortness of breath and
coughing. People with underlying conditions or chronic diseases seem to be more
prone to developing more severe conditions, such as renal failure and
pneumonia.As yet, there is no cure for Mers and treatment is supportive.
Prof. John Kurakar
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