The outbreak began when a 49-year-old woman was admitted to a hospital on June 10, with symptoms unrelated to a MERS infection. She was admitted through the emergency department to the vascular surgery ward. “MERS-CoV infection was not considered,” according to WHO. “She was not isolated and was managed in a multi-bed room.”
These circumstances led to the exposure of more than 49 hospital employees and patients. So far, 20 of those people have tested positive for MERS.
According to the CDC, MERS is a viral respiratory illness, first reported in 2012. It can spread person to person through close contact. About three or four of every 10 patients with MERS have died.
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