Pakistani pilgrims advised to take preventive measures against MERS-CoV

ISLAMABAD: National Institute of Health (NIH) on Wednesday advised the Pakistani pilgrims to take special preventive measures to protect themselves from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus (MERS-CoV) during Hajj.

According to an official of NIH, in the wake of incidence of MERS- CoV cases in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), its travel associated international spread and the upcoming Hajj seasons, effective preventive and control measures were imperative among Pakistani pilgrims.

He said that mass gathering events such as the Hajj provide a basis for communicable diseases to spread easily.

He said that emphasizing the need to have close collaboration on the pattern of last year's Hajj, the NIH has recommended measures for pilgrims for prevention and control of MERS-CoV.

He said that pilgrims should frequent wash their hands with soap and water and if soap and water are not available, they should use hand sanitizer besides avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth after touching common surfaces or hand shake with ill persons.

He said that under the advisory, the pilgrims in KSA have been advised to avoid close contact with sick people and avoid undercooked meat or food prepared under unsanitary conditions, and wash fruits and vegetables before eating them.

He added the pilgrims should maintain good personal hygiene and avoid unnecessary contact with farm, domestic, and wild animals, especially camels.

Pilgrims developing a significant acute respiratory illness with  fever,cough or diarrhea have been advised to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and discard the tissue in the trash after use to minimize their contact with others to keep from infecting them.

He added the Hajj medical mission must include a surveillance and infection control experts during Hajj.

He said that sufficient supplies of the empiric broad spectrum antibiotics, soaps, sanitizers and personal protective equipment like gloves,gowns, surgical masks, N-95 respirators should be made available to the medical mission.

He said that returning pilgrims should be advised through a leaflet by the health officials concerned to seek immediate medical attention if they develop a significant acute respiratory illness with fever and cough during two weeks after their return.

He said that the posters based on the health education material should also be made available to all pilgrims in KSA while a leaflet containing brief symptoms of MERS CoV and instruction to the pilgrims should also be arranged to report to the respective DHQ Hospital if anyone develop symptoms on return.

He said that for appropriate referral and diagnosis of onboard sick travelers, the Ministry of Religious Affairs have been asked to inform the national health authorities along with contact information of ill passengers.

The official said that MERS is a viral respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus that was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012. He said that MERS-CoV spreads from ill people to others through close contact, such as caring for or living with an infected person.

He added typical MERS symptoms included fever, cough and shortness of breath.