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Date: Thu 9 May 2013
From: Ziad Memish
Urgent update on nCoV cluster in KSA [Kingdom of Saudi Arabia]
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The investigation of the recent cluster in Alhassa [Al-Hasa or Al-Ahsa], KSA is still ongoing. Actions implemented and fully applied by 1 May 2013 have been effective to date in preventing NEW cases related to this cluster from emerging. But in-depth look back and search among contacts of earlier reported cases and repeat testing of suspected cases revealed 2 new cases yesterday [8 May 2013]:
- Case 14: 48-year-old male with multiple comorbidities. Start of symptoms 29 Apr 2013 and confirmed by lab testing. He is in stable condition in hospital.
Case 15: 58-year-old male with comorbidity. Start of symptoms 6 Apr 2013. His repeat testing was positive and he fully recovered and was discharged on 3 May 2013.
The investigation is ongoing and more details will be released as they arise.
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Ziad A Memish,MD,FRCP(Can),FRCP(Edin),FRCP(Lond),FACP
Deputy Minister for Public Health
Director WHO Collaborating Center for Mass Gathering Medicine
Ministry of Health
Professor, College of Medicine
Alfaisal University
Riyadh 11176
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
[ProMED-mail would like to thank Dr Memish for the rapid sharing of this information. The addition of these 2 newly identified cases brings the total number of cases associated with this cluster in Al-Hasa, Eastern Province to 15.
As with the previously identified 13 cases, these cases have a history of comorbidities suggesting they were in the implicated health care facility (HCF) for a different admitting diagnosis and they were infected with the nCoV while in the HCF.
This brings the global total of confirmed cases of nCoV to 33. http://www.promedmail.org/direct.php?id=20130509.1701527
