4 Filipino nurses now have Mers in Saudi Arabia

Four Filipino nurses have now contracted the Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers) from patients they had treated in a Saudi Arabia hospital, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Monday.

DFA Assistant Secretary and spokesman Charles Jose said the four nurses were confined in an undisclosed hospital.

Two of them, females aged 29 and 32, are in the intensive care unit while the two others, a 50-year-old female and a 55-year-old male, were in isolation. The four include the two who were earlier reported to have contracted the disease.

One of the nurses has not developed severe symptoms of the respiratory illness but is under observation, Jose said.

Jose said the nurses were hospitalized on different dates, with two of them confined at the emergency room, while the other two in the ICU.

“Our embassy in Riyadh was assured by the management of the hospital that the Filipinos were being provided the best medical treatment available and that the hospital was equipped with comprehensive treatment and facilities for Mers,” Jose told reporters.

He said the families of the four nurses had been informed about their condition.

Jose reiterated the DFA advisory to Filipinos in Saudi Arabia “to take extra precaution, pay attention to their personal hygiene and follow closely advisories issued by local health authorities.”

Filipinos working in hospitals should strictly follow infection prevention protocols in their workplace, he said.