In South Korea, the government has announced that the MERS virus has spread all over 24 hospitals, with six people who are reportedly dead because of the disease.
The New York Times reports this makes the country the worst-afflicted outside Saudi Arabia, which has already 440 confirmed deaths due to MERS corona-virus since 2012.
Deputy Prime Minister Choi Kyung-hwan was quoted in a news conference saying that the government will "take strong steps to help ease the people's concern and fears."
This disease has placed South Koreans in a state of panic.
The outbreak started in May, when a man who came from the Middle East, was diagnosed in St. Mary's Hospital in Seoul. The virus contaminated 35 other people who were at the same hospital with patient zero.
Health officials expect another wave of MERS cases after another patient from St. Mary's got admitted in the Samsung Medical Center. One of South Korea's largest hospitals, Samsung has already reported 17 patients have been diagnosed with the virus.
One factor as to why the disease is spreading over 24 hospitals is the transferring of patients from one establishment to another.
There are reportedly 1,800 people who are quarantined in medical and home care facilities. The New York Times added the Mr. Choi will be assigning more health officials to places with quarantined patients.
South Korea's neighboring country Hong Kong is also beginning to tighten its ports in fear of the disease spreading to their country. HK health officials have also issued travel warnings to South Korea for now.
World Health Organization stated in their website that the Middle-East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus causes diseases "from common cold to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)." This can be contaminated through close contact with infected patients. Symptoms like high fever and signs of pneumonia take place, which eventually could lead to the person's death.
