Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus detections on the downward trend under Acting Health Minister Fakeih..[UPDATE]

Click on image to enlarge.

Apart from the looming spike in MERS-CoV detection among farmers who have taken to YouTube to kiss their camels in proof of their obviously over-stated role in being a viral source (sigh; that's a post unto itself*), the trend, after accounting for last nights cases is still one of declining case numbers since the change in management at the KSA Ministry of Health.

Some brief thoughts on the very early morning (my time; AEST) case reports from the KSA.[1] There were 8 cases announced which included 2 deaths plus another 3 deaths from previously announced cases. No asymptomatic cases (h/t @HelenBranswell) or healthcare workers and few mentions of comorbid disease were included; all bucking the recent trend. There were 4 possible hospital-acquired infections listed too, including illness onset from 11-May. Clearly infection prevention and control (ICP) messaging/action is still not succeeding, at least in Riyadh and Al-Madinah. 

Also announced this morning was a second imported case into the USA.

• The Patient (possibly a 44-year old male[2]) was symptomatic - including a cough, (later some diarrhoea), fever and chills (1-May) -  during flights from Jeddah to London, from London to to Boston>Atlanta>Orlando, Florida.[2,3]
• Symptomatic does not necessarily mean infectious [3]
• Patient was a healthcare provider (?worker, HCW)
• Patient was admitted to hospital in Orlando 9-May and is isolated.
• Over 500 potential contacts from the US-based flights are being contacted and after 1,000 person hours by CDC staff over the weekend, no-one has been found to be reporting illness so far.[3]
• Little risk of spread from casual contact.[3]

*I'm being sarcastic

References...

1. http://www.moh.gov.sa/en/CoronaNew/PressReleases/Pages/mediastatement-2014-05-12-001.aspx
2. http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-mers-florida-20140512-story.html
3. http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/t0512-US-MERS.html
4. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/health/os-mers-case-central-florida-20140512,0,5928176.story
5. http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/h5n1/2014/05/us-a-little-more-on-the-florida-mers-case.html