No MERS cases in the TRNC

Last week we published an article about alleged cases of the so called Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in the TRNC (click here to remember). Now the government gave an all-clear regarding the occurrence of this disease in Northern Cyprus.

The Health Ministry has announced that blood samples sent to Turkey with the suspicion of carrying the Middle Eastern Respiratory virus MERS came back negative.

All patients at the hospital who were admitted with the fear of carrying the virus were suffering from a severe case of influenza.

According to the final test results, no patients, including the 83 year old woman who died at the hospital, carried the virus.

During a press conference held with the participation of the Head of the Infection Control Committee and Health Ministry Undersecretary Ömer Gür, Deputy Chief Physician Dr. Bülent Dizdarlı and members of the Infection Control Committee it was announced that all of the test results came back negative for the MERS virus.

Speaking during the press conference Mr. Gür said that there were a total of 12 patients at the hospital with the suspicion of carrying the virus.

‘4 had been released as they had recovered and finally there were only 5 patients left in hospital suffering from a respiratory illness, we will be carrying out our final controls of the patients and then releasing them’ said Gür.

He thanked the hospital chief physician, infection control committee, doctors and chest specialists for working nonstop for three days at the hospital without going home and looking after the patients.

Mr. Gür said although the test results had come back negative precautionary measures against the MERS virus and Ebola would continue.

Source: BRT World News