Via CIDRAP, Robert Roos has a good summary of recent events: Jordan calls novel coronavirus cases isolated. Excerpt:
Following the recent retrospective confirmation of two fatal infections with a novel coronavirus (CoV) in Jordan, the Jordanian health ministry said no more such cases have surfaced in the country since April, according to media reports.
"Since April, the health ministry has not recorded any case of the coronavirus in Jordan," Health Minister Abdullatif Wreikat said in comments reported by the official Petra news agency yesterday, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) report.
On Nov 30 the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that tests identified the novel CoV in 2 of 11 people, including 8 healthcare workers, who had severe respiratory infections in a hospital intensive care unit in Zarqa, Jordan, in April. The cases increased the global tally of novel CoV cases to nine, with 5 deaths.
There was no word today on further tests results for any of the people in the Jordanian illness cluster.
Besides the Jordanian cases, five cases, with three deaths, have been reported in Saudi Arabia and two cases in Qatar. Three of the five Saudi cases were part of a family cluster.
In other developments, the Canadian government on Nov 30 urged travelers to take precautions in light of the novel coronavirus. In an updated travel health notice, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said travelers may be subject to quarantine in some countries, including Saudi Arabia, if they show signs of a flu-like illness.
The notice advises people to postpone travel if they have flu-like symptoms. It also recommends good respiratory hygiene and says people who have breathing difficulty after returning from a trip should seek immediate medical attention.
Canada was among the countries affected in 2003 by the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus, another coronavirus that can cause severe pneumonia.
