South Korea Reports Two New MERS Deaths, Taking Death Toll to 27

In the largest MERS outbreak outside Saudi Arabia, South Korea reported two fatalities and three new cases, taking the country’s death toll to 27.

The two men -- aged 84 and 87 -- died from Sunday night to Monday morning of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, the health ministry said, adding both had been battling cancer.

South Korea MERS Cases Rise to 165 and Death Toll Rises to 23
The total number of MERS cases has risen to 165, revealed the South Korean health authorities. They said that 6,729 people are in quarantine.

They contracted the virus at Samsung Medical Center in Seoul and Daecheong hospital in the western city of Daejeon and were diagnosed on June 9 and 12, respectively.

The ministry also reported three more cases of the disease to bring the total number of those infected to 172, including 27 who have died.

The three included two patients at Samsung hospital and Konkuk University Medical Center in Seoul and one caregiver at Daecheong hospital.

South Korea Reports Three New MERS Cases, Total Number of Cases Rise to 169
The three new MERS infections came a day after South Korea reported no new cases, raising guarded hope that Seoul was winning the battle to contain the virus.

Samsung -- a major hospital where more than 80 patients, families and medical workers have been infected -- suspended most services on June 14 to stem the spread of the virus.

Fourteen patients were in critical condition, the ministry said, adding 50 people had recovered and were released from hospital so far, including seven from Saturday to Sunday.

South Korea Reports No New MERS Cases or Deaths: The Health Ministry
It was for the first time in 16 days that no new cases of MERS outbreak were reported in South Korea as the outbreak appeared to have started subsiding.

The spread of the virus has slowed since the first two weeks of June, when the number of patients often grew by double digits including a daily record of 23 on June 7.

On Saturday the authorities reported no new cases for the first time in 16 days.

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Developed by North Korea's Pugang Pharmaceutic Company, the drug is known as Kumdang-2, and is made of extracts from ginseng with the injection of rare earth elements.

The outbreak began on May 20 when a 68-year-old man was diagnosed after returning from a trip to Saudi Arabia.

Since then the potentially deadly virus had spread at an unusually rapid pace, sparking public alarm that prompted the temporary closure of thousands of schools and trip cancellations by more than 120,000 foreign tourists.

Most schools have reopened except for five in Gyeonggi province surrounding Seoul, the southern port of Busan and the southeastern city of Daegu.

Source-AFP