Saudi Arabia - What are we seeing in Saudi coronavirus cluster? What do we need to watch for from here? 3 new cases on May 5 involving health-care fac

[sharon sanders]

May 5, 2013 Updated: May 5, 2013 | 8:12 pm \
Saudi coronavirus cluster grows by 3
By Helen Branswell
The Canadian Press


Saudi Arabia has confirmed three additional coronavirus infections in a growing cluster that involves a health-care facility in the eastern part of the country.

Limited details have been divulged. But the information that is available raises the spectre of person-to-person spread, potentially over several generations.

more....

http://metronews.ca/news/world/660005/saudi-coronavirus-cluster-grows-by-3/

 

[Giuseppe]

Re: Saudi Arabia - What are we seeing in Saudi coronavirus cluster? What do we need to watch for from here? 3 new cases on May 5 involving health-care facility

The Jordan 2012 cluster was suggestive of a nosocomial outbreak, even though only two cases were retrospectively confirmed.

So, sounding a loud fanfare without any kind of details is useless. Excuse me for the rudeness.

 

[Giuseppe]

Re: Saudi Arabia - What are we seeing in Saudi coronavirus cluster? What do we need to watch for from here? 3 new cases on May 5 involving health-care facility

Among the critical information currently withheld by Saudi authorities we have:

-- the reason behind the NCoV patients hospitalization, since the fatal outcome seems to be related (by the official communications) to comorbidities. However, without providing details about the nature of the ward (surgery, infectious diseases, day surgery...) it is difficult to say whether the pregress condintion of patients were determinant to the fatal outcome. For example, an individual hospitalized for a cyst biopsy or for an endoscopic procedure (elective) is probably as healthy as a general population individual.

-- In the ward(s) affected were performed aerosol-generating procedure?

-- Was the Index Patient identified?

-- Were the Patients in the cluster isolated from the rest of hospital inpatients?

-- What kind of treatment had the patient received?

-- How many patients may have possibly be exposed to the diseased ones?

And many many other unknowns...

Until detailed information about this cluster will be made available it is clearly a matter of danger for public health, notwithstanding the secretive nature of the KSA system or its importance for oil or other commodities shares prices.

GM