Hajj pilgrims to wear masks to prevent spread of Mers virus
Saudi Arabia has issued a series of rules to pilgrims travelling to Mecca for the Hajj that will ban the elderly and force others to wear respiratory masks to prevent the Mers coronavirus turning into an epidemic.
The MERS coronavirus. The emergence of the mysterious virus ahead of the pilgrimage has been described as the single biggest worldwide public health since the deadly Sars pandemic Photo: AP
By Damien McElroy
4:26PM BST 13 Jul 2013
Health ministry regulations for the piligrimage are the strictest in history as the government seeks to contain the spread of the new SARS-like condition which has affected 85 and killed 41.
Almost all those who have contracted Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers) have been in Saudi Arabia or had contact with people who contracted it there. The first recorded Mers death was in June last year in Saudi Arabia.
Millions of Muslims head to and from Saudi Arabia during the Hajj
Tens of millions of Muslims from around the world are expected to take part in the Hajj this October. The emergence of the mysterious virus ahead of the pilgrimage has been described as the single biggest worldwide public health since the deadly Sars pandemic.
Elderly and the chronically ill will not be issued with visas to perform the pilgrimage, ruling out those with heart, kidney, respiratory diseases, and diabetes". .
People with immunity deficiency, as well as children and pregnant women, are also on the preventative measures list.
The Saudi decision comes after the WHO convened emergency talks on Mers last week, with concerns expressed about its potential impact on the Hajj.
The statement did not set an age limit, and it was not clear if the recommendation implies that no visas will be issued for such pilgrims.
The WHO has not recommended any Mers-related travel restrictions, but says countries should monitor unusual respiratory infection patterns.
Sufferers contract a lung infection that causes fever, coughing and breathing difficulties, culminating in rapid kidney failure.
Saudi Arabia introduced requirements for polio immunisation certificates in 2003 after fears of a resurgence of that virus.
