Mers 'may go nationwide' in South Korea, warns expert, as 87 cases are confirmed
PUBLISHED : Monday, 08 June, 2015, 1:41am
UPDATED : Monday, 08 June, 2015, 11:25am
Elizabeth Cheung [email protected]
As workers disinfect a train in Seoul, an expert in Hong Kong says transferring affected patients may have made matters worse. Photo: AFP
The number of South Koreans diagnosed with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus has risen to 87, with 23 new cases reported by health authorities on Monday.
South Korea reported its sixth death from the potentially fatal virus on Sunday amid rising fears it may spread further nationwide since the first case was confirmed on May 20, involving a 68-year-old South Korean man with a recent history of travel to four countries in the Middle East.
The latest toll came as South Korea finally disclosed the names of 24 hospitals - mostly in Seoul or the surrounding province of Gyeonggi - involved in the deadly Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers) outbreak, while a Hong Kong infectious disease expert warned the epidemic could spread nationwide.
It is the largest outbreak of the disease outside Saudi Arabia, where it has infected more than 950 people since 2012.
Major hospitals in Seoul, such as Samsung Medical Centre and Pyeongtaek St Mary's Hospital, were among those listed.
As of yesterday, about 2,100 South Koreans were told to stay home and strictly limit their interactions with others, while another 200 were in quarantine in state hospitals.
South Korean acting prime minister Choi Kyung-hwan said the government was tracking confirmed patients and there was no reason to believe the virus would significantly spread further. The government would step up monitoring on those placed under observation, including tracking those at home via their mobile phones, Choi said.
However, Dr Ho Pak-leung, a microbiologist at the University of Hong Kong, criticised the South Korean government, saying it was "ridiculous" to reveal the names of the hospitals after more than two weeks.
With the wide distribution of hospitals already named, Ho warned more would possibly be affected.
"It is challenging for the government to handle the case now. The virus might spread to the whole country," Ho said.
He earlier said the practice of transferring infected or suspected patients between hospitals had made matters worse.
Meanwhile, two Apple Daily journalists showed symptoms of fever after returning from Seoul, where they visited two hospitals.
One of them, photographer Yeung Pak-yin, 28, had a body temperature of 37.9 degrees Celsius as he was checked at Chek Lap Kok airport on Saturday night. Both tested negative for Mers at Princess Margaret Hospital, Kwai Chung.
"I was a bit worried but with all the protective gear, I thought we should be fine," Yeung said.
The Hong Kong Journalists Association has issued guidelines to the media for reporting on epidemics.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
