Hi all,Nothing fills me with more self-loathing than seeing VDU's charts being used when they are out of date...and I only have myself to blame! Generally speaking of course, I love seeing the charts used - that's what I make 'em for. But for some events, like the MERS-CoV localised epidemic, VDU's posts are out-of-date as quickly as the front page of yesterdays newspaper. So there is a need...
Welcome to the Netherlands MERS-CoV...
Click on map to enlarge.New map format coming. The Netherlands enlarged.Click on map to enlarge.The 19th country for the Middle East Respiratory syndrome coronavirus is the Netherlands. The virus was carried in on an (?elderly) male returning from a visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.[1,2]And it occurred...
Keep calm and call the lab...without it, you know less than you think you do [UPDATED x2]
This morning there are 2 symptomatic healthcare workers (HCWs) in the United States (of America; I'm just going to use the "US" from from here on) who came into contact with the recently diagnosed MERS-CoV positive 44M (age and sex confirmed yet?) imported case.The news has driven something of a twitter...
MERS-CoV on a plane!
"Assessment of the MERS-CoV epidemic situation in the Middle East region."Reprinted with kind permission of author (Dr Vittoria Colizza, pers comm).Click on image to enlarge.This is perhaps a timely reminder of where cases of MERS-CoV may pop-up if we look at the author's analysis of destinations from...
Snapdate: MERS-CoV detection by month...
We are living in the 2.17th year, or 113th week, since the first known MERS-CoV-related illness affected a 25-year old Jordanian.April stands out as the biggest MERS-CoV detection month ever, with 286 cases either becoming ill, being hospitalised or being reported as positive. But don't...
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...
VDU Quote for the night...
From:Z.A. Memish et al. Screening for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection in hospital patients and their healthcare worker and family contacts: a prospective descriptive study.Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 2014."Surveillance studies also help in defining and monitoring transmission rates, case load, and epidemic risk assessment, and assist in instituting infection...
MERS-CoV detections and deaths: is the war on MERS making headway?
For a few days now its felt as though we are seeing a more deaths in each Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Ministry of Health (MOH) report, than we had been for a while. All very precise language there.Currently there are about 161 fatalities among the 571 MERS-CoV detection. According...
Snapdate: MERS-CoV detected among asymptomatic people
A quick look at the numbers of people without symptoms who have tested MERS-CoV positive, presumably by reverse-transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-rtPCR).MERS-CoV detection cases are up to 571 worldwide, (575 once we get some detail of 4 UAE cases that are still AWOL) of which...
First Aid Response Training in Mbrarara, Uganda.
Uganda Arriving in RwandaAfter a 3 yr hiatus, I am getting back on the road (or plane if you will). Last time I was abroad, I was so anxious to one day be able to go back into the world with a little knowledge under my belt. My year abroad taught me so much, but it was frustrating for me to not...
