Children and Elderly Banned from ICU
In this file photo provided by the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases shows a colorized transmission of the MERS coronavirus that emerged in 2012. (AP)
JEDDAH: The Health Affairs Department in Al-Ahsa has taken extra precautionary measures to curb the spread of MERS coronavirus among hospital visitors, especially after the virus claimed the life of a 72-year-old man in a hospital in Hofuf.
The measures involved shortening visitation times to two hours a day, and banning the elderly and children from entering the intensive care unit (ICU).
Al-Ahsa Health Directorate spokesman Abdulrahman Al-Sidrani was quoted as telling local media that the precautionary measures aim to enhance infection control procedures and promote preventive steps.
The control center at the Al-Ahsa health department said in a statement that only two cases out of 94 suspected cases that it checked came out positive.
The center stressed the importance of abiding by all instructions and preventive measures recommended by the Ministry of Health in terms of reporting any suspected case of infection.
The center called on all citizens to follow up with preventive measures which the ministry issued, including washing hands and body with soap and water or disinfectants regularly; staying away as much as possible from camels; using tissues and handkerchiefs when sneezing or coughing to cover the mouth and nose and wearing masks in cases of infections.