The number of death caused by the MERS outbreak in South Korea just went up to 9 from 7 in the last 24 hours and about 2,800 people are now held in quarantine while 2,000 schools remain closed. The nation is currently battling with two things, which is the virus and the massive fear the public is acquiring from it.
The MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) virus originally came from Saudi Arabia and is now taunting South Korea. According to the latest report from CNN, it is the largest outbreak that has happened to this country. 13 more people were also reported to have contracted the virus, which now leads to 108 of the confirmed people infected by it.
Most of the victims were adults except the case of a 16-year-old boy. Death reports were also mostly adults who appeared to have conditions related to the virus even before. Reuters have gathered new information today about the joining of a South Korean-World Health Organization mission in the study about this outbreak that is sweeping the nation. Officials of the program recommended to have the schools be reopened because they are not likely to be causing the spread of the virus anyway. However, school boards just wanted more schools be shut down.
The MERS virus was first discovered to have infected a human being in 2012 and it was due to a coronavirus of the same kind that struck China that many know as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). Unfortunately, there is no cure for it nor shots to prevent it as of now.
The country is doing its best to stop the spreading of the virus, as well as to alleviate the pain of those who have been infected that they have now set up clinics in all of South Korea's major cities. With the death toll rising, Al Jazeera's correspondent Harry Fawcett in Seoul got a word from the deputy prime minister, warning everyone with the symptoms of the virus to not go to any hospital but rather go straight to the authorities
