at the gates of World Cup 2022 in Qatar, the country is not only experiencing an international boycott due to the lack of respect for human rights. A new threat hangs over the country that, with a global event like the world cup, can expand rapidly. With what has been lived in the last three years, the name is already frightening: middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus. The World Health Organization (OMS) alert that you have a rate of 35% mortality between the infected. For this reason, several countries already recommend following strict hygiene measures and of social distance.
The virus is not new, it was first detected in Saudi Arabia in September 2012. Since then and until last May, the WHO is aware of 2587 cases y 891 deaths. In other words: this coronavirus kills 35% of infected people. In this line, 27 countries have reported cases of MERS-CoV, as the disease is called by its acronym in English. In fact, Europa does not get rid of this coronavirus: France, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Austria have reported infected people.
Contact with camels
As far as Qatar is concerned, a opaque country not only in human rights, but in freedom of the pressthe authorities have communicated 28 cases y seven people deceased. The latest spike, with one fatality and one sick person, occurred this May.
In all cases, there is a common link: those infected had direct contact con dromedarios. Specifically, they drank raw milk of these animals. Hence the Middle East respiratory syndrome is popularly known as the ‘camel virus‘.
Zoonotic and person-to-person transmission
Different investigations and the WHO itself have confirmed that this coronavirus has a zoonotic transmission. That is, from animals to people. Studies have shown that Humans become infected through direct or indirect contact with infected camels, although the exact route of transmission is still not well understood. Of course, they are clear that the origin of the disease is in the bats.
“Person-to-person transmission is possible and has taken place predominantly between close contacts and in healthcare settings. Out of there, the person-to-person transmission has been limited,” says the WHO.
This is how the ‘camel virus’ affects
MERS is a severe acute respiratory infection. The typical symptoms of the ‘camel virus’ are fever, tos and respiratory distress. Pneumonia is common, but patients do not always develop this condition, says the WHO, which reports that there have also been reports gastrointestinal symptoms.
Measures to follow
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Experts recommend that people traveling to Qatar, in addition to keeping the social distanceStay away from camels and dromedaries. It should be noted that one of the typical activities in this country is the rides about these animals. There are more measures to follow: do not consume raw or undercooked products of these animals, including milk and meat.
“They carry a high risk of infection by various pathogens that can cause disease in humans. “That is the advice of common sense to reduce the risk of contracting the virus. It is a nasty virus, much more lethal than covid, with a very high mortality rate and there is currently no effective vaccine,” he warns. Paul Hunterprofessor at the University of East Anglia, in statements to the British newspaper ‘The Sun’.