#mers outbreak

There has been an outbreak of MERS in Korea for about a month now, and observing the responses by the government, businesses, and individuals has been fascinating. I am most interested in street-level responses, because they are the ones that most people experience directly, and the ones that have the most relevence to individuals. The broader, governmental policy and medical responses are more abstract, and don’t enter into daily consideration in the same way. The street-level responses stare you in the face every day. I will examine two prongs: information and protection.

A bit of background: MERS, or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome is basically a flu that can kill you —according to the WHO approximately 36% of reported patients have died. There are 186 reported cases here, and so far 33 people have died (which is a much lower percentage than the WHO’s). There are many other sources for info on the disease and spread if that’s what you’re looking for.

Information

Education seems to have become a priority, recovering from an initial slow start (the initial government response was criticized for being slow and secretive). These signs are now prominently displayed in every subway station and illustrate ten things you should know about MERS. I view them as successful in the task of providing a broad-brush information dump to a busy and potentially under-informed populace. They cover origin, transmission, symptoms, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in a compact and glanceable format, with graphics that clearly and quickly convey relevant information without absolutely relying on the text. If this is the only information you have on MERS, you are in a decent spot.

Focusing in on each graphic, and the message conveyed without reading virtually any of the text:

MERS has an association with camels. This is perhaps not the most important element, but helps give some background on the disease.

The symptoms are a fever and cough, and this cough can transmit the disease in a space of 2 meters.

I should cover my mouth (assuming when coughing) and wash my hands with soap and water.

There is a focus on 14 days throughout the poster. Without knowing the relevance of this time period, I still know to pay attention to a two week period.

There is a science-y test for MERS, some treatment is available, and safety gear such as gloves and masks will help.

All in all, not bad for a quick glance.

Protection

Complementing the dissemination of information is access to protection. Hand sanitizer pods have sprouted throughout the city, on public transportation, in offices, and at the entrances to malls and shops. They provide a simple means for people to directly take protective action.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizer is part of the CDC-recommended regimen to protect against respiratory illnesses and most of the hand sanitizer sold in Korea is alcohol based, so these dispensers are more than simply for show. Numerous studies on hand sanitization in hospitals show that access & awareness improve compliance and the dispensers are nothing if not ubiquitous and prominent. Taken together, it is a safe assumption that there will be increased usage of an effective product, which is a net positive.

Conclusion

These responses should be viewed as successful on several levels. On a functional one, they address many of the fears surrounding MERS, provide people with advice on actionable steps, and directly provide the ability to act. The messaging is clear, equipment is appropriate and readily accessible, and the scale of the response fits neatly into everyday life. The solutions are simple and unobtrusive enough that people will actually use them.

Of course, questions can be raised as to how serious MERS actually is (since transmission outside of hospitals has been rare or nonexistent) and how necessary any of these precautions actually are. These questions lead to another type of success — that of addressing emotional needs. Scared people don’t want to be told simply not to worry, that what’s going on isn’t a big deal. They want reassurance, clear information, and simple steps to take that will protect them and their families. In this, the responses shine. They satisfy the need for recognition, that the government hears the concerns of the people and is acting on them. They also help people perform rituals of protection and enable people to feel that they are taking charge of their own health.

Luckily, it seems that the outbreak is subsiding with the number of new cases having dropped. Hopefully the whole episode will be put to rest in the near future. Still, it has been a fascinating situation to be surrounded by.

New Post has been published on http://www.newsnish.com/international/s-korea-to-inject-10bn-into-economy-after-mers-outbreak/

S Korea to inject $10bn into economy after Mers outbreak

South Korea’s government has proposed pumping billions of dollars into its economy as it struggles with falling exports and an outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers). A fresh stimulus package put forth on Friday, worth 11.8tn Korean won ($10.5bn £6.7bn), is part of a larger economic stimulus plan worth 22tn won. South Korea is targeting a growth rate of 3.1% for the year. Analysts say even with additional stimulus it may not achieve its target. South Korea’s export-led economy has been hit by slowing global demand for its goods, together with sluggish consumer demand at home. The proposed injection of funds is an attempt to counter the impact of a flagging economy with government spending. “The government proposed a supplementary budget … to deal with revenue shortages and 5.6 trillion won to help overcome the Mers outbreak, improve water resources management, support the working class and stimulate local economies,” the government said in a statement.

As the governments in London and Berlin stick tightly to “austerity” and reining in public spending as economies slow down, South Korea goes in the opposite direction and increases government borrowing to spend and pump the economy up. South Korean growth this year is forecast to be just over 3%. For many developed economies, that would be satisfactory but for South Korea it is far slower than they have come to expect. This deceleration is caused primarily by the slowing of the Chinese economy but the outbreak of Mers raises a fear for the future. Accordingly, some of the extra spending is targeted at hospitals and clinics which failed to cope when the illness first appeared. Tourism, as an industry hit hard by the outbreak, will also get some money. Farmers will benefit because of the ongoing drought. But the detail does not seem as significant as the big picture: South Korea is rejecting the economics of Europe. Who’s right?

A total of 184 people have now contracted the deadly Mers virus in South Korea and the government reported a new case on Friday. However, there have been no fatalities reported over the past three days. Thirty-three people have died since it was first detected in May, making it the largest outbreak outside the Middle East. Mers has killed 400 people in Saudi Arabia since 2012.

Global Hackathon: Seoul Has Been Cancelled

Global Hackathon: Seoul has been cancelled amidst the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in Asia, a life-threatening virus that has already claimed lives. Global Hackathon was to be held in Seoul, South Korea on July 29th, 2015, and it was slated to be the greatest hackathon to date until things started to fall apart.

According to the cancellation notice (sent via e-mail),…

Hey folks!

I apologize for not doing an update yesterday. I honestly just never got around to it, and there didn’t seem to be too much more going on other than the number of infections changing and such. I’ve noticed that my morning commutes on the subway are a lot less crowded and sure enough, we reported yesterday that public transit use has dropped about 22 percent as people are worried that MERS could spread through there.

Eh, if this means I’m no longer squished and suffocated on the train during rush hour, I’ll take it.

Also, the health ministry said today they are tracking the past movements of one MERS patient who traveled to Jeju before being diagnosed but possibly after being infected. They should hopefully release that information once they have it in order to get anyone who has come into contact with this person in quarantine.

Outside of that and the paramedic, every other MERS case has come from hospitals, so the government and WHO are still certain that the outbreak is contained and shouldn’t spread into the general public.

Anyway, the numbers as of today stand at 165 infections and 23 deaths, bringing the fatality rate to 14 percent. This is the highest it’s been, however, it is still much lower than the global rate of 40 percent. About 80 percent of the people who have died from MERS were elderly (60 or older) and 91 percent of those who have died already had serious, pre-existing medical conditions that were exacerbated by the MERS virus. Of the three new infections announced today, two were nurses who were treating MERS patients.

The number of MERS-affected hospitals is now up to 84 as of yesterday. Those names have been released on the government’s website. There are currently 6,729 in isolation for exposure to MERS. And 24 people have made full recoveries and been released from the hospital. Of the 118 still in treatment, 17 are in serious to critical condition.

A lot of the new cases are still coming from Samsung Medical Center. The hospital has shut down most of its operations. Yesterday, the top executives at Samsung Group issued a second apology to the public for causing much of the spread of MERS.

Despite all this, the WHO has said there is no need to issue a global alert or travel or trade bands on South Korea. They feel as though the Korean government is keeping the virus contained within hospitals and at this point, MERS is not at danger of spreading to the general population or outside the country.

The WHO committee did however name five factors that they believe have contributed to the outbreak here: a lack of awareness among health care workers and general public about MERS, practice of doctor shopping where patients seek care at multiple hospitals, tradition of family members staying in or visiting hospitals to care for sick loved ones, crowded emergency rooms and multibed rooms in hospitals, and sub-optimal infection prevention and control measures in hospitals.

The WHO said there are still many gaps in knowledge about the transmission of MERS between people including potential environmental contamination, poor ventilation and other factors. They said continued research was imperative.

So that’s about where things stand at the moment. Yes, there were/are some foreigners in quarantine but the government has promised that they have the same deal as Koreans – all treatment and quarantine expenses will be paid by the government. A friend of mine who teaches down in Pyeongtaek said she was in quarantine at home for a bit after one of her students had been exposed and then exposed her. But neither tested positive for MERS and she is now back to work.

Some updates today on the MERS situation in Korea.

As of now there were four new cases reported today, bringing the number of infections up to 154. There were also three more deaths, bringing that number to 19. Health authorities are a bit perplexed because of the latest fatalities two people did not have any pre-existing medical conditions, though they were older. Another patient was 49, making him the youngest person to die in the MERS outbreak in Korea. Previously, international health experts had stated that MERS was only a huge risk for the elderly and those with serious pre-existing medical conditions or compromised immune systems.

Despite this, the fatality rate is still lower than the global average (40 percent) at 12 percent.

Also, as of today, 17 people have been released from the hospital after making full recoveries. Over 5,550 are in quarantine and about 30 foreigners have quarantine orders. However, some of them managed to slip out of Korea and return to their home country (Japan) before the quarantine order was issued. The city government is now imposing a temporary exit ban on every person – even if they are a foreign national – who is subject to quarantine for MERS.

Samsung Medical Center said that part of its medical facilities will be shut down until at least June 24 and three other hospitals (two I mentioned yesterday) have temporarily shut down their ERs after they were visited by a paramedic who tested positive for MERS.

President Park went and visited some schools in Gangnam today that had been previously shut down. She told the kids that she was going to do her best to get rid of MERS in Korea and all that stuff.

And this last bit is from the Korea Herald from last night and is just, completely ridiculous. Apparently some people really don’t like quarantine… This was announced yesterday.

The Tale of the Runaway MERS Patient Once upon a time, there was a man who was feeling sick but yet, had the desire to run far, far away...

Just kidding. He only went home. I guess some people REALLY don’t like quarantine.

The 14th MERS patient attempted to make a run for it while waiting on the results of his first MERS test. He visited Samsung Medical Center on May 27 and came in contact with the virus while using the restroom in the emergency room.

He started showing symptoms on June 9, but waited until June 12 to contact Gangnam Community Health Center. They sent an ambulance and nurse to pick him up – for precautions and all – but he decides to take a taxi to Gangnam Severance Hospital instead, thus exposing that driver and potentially anyone who took the cab after him to MERS. He was isolated at the facility while they did the test, but then the guy starts throwing a fit and says that he’s going to spread MERS all around to everyone if he has it. Because of that fit, the three doctors nearby had to go into quarantine.

And the story gets even better. Instead of waiting for the test results, the guys decides he wants he doesn’t want to stick around, picks the lock on the door and just leaves the hospital. He then grabs a cab and just went home. The MERS test then came back positive. But, the hospital couldn’t get a hold of him or his family for awhile. After several calls, they did manage to get a hold of him and haul him back in to the isolation ward for treatment.

The health center officials are currently going through CCTV footage to figure out his exact route so they know who came in contact with the patient and may now need to be placed in quarantine.

Between this guy and the doctor, I’m seriously surprised there haven’t been any cases outside of hospitals yet… Some people…

Hello all! I suppose it’s about time for another MERS update of sorts.

The current numbers stand at 150 infections and 16 deaths, however the fatality rate is still at 10.7 percent, which is lower than the global rate of 40 percent. Of those diagnosed so far, 64 percent were either patients or medical staff who came into close contact with a MERS patient. And nearly all contracted MERS at hospitals that had unknowingly treated MERS patients prior to their diagnosis. The only case of an infection outside of a hospital is still the ambulance driver who contracted MERS after transporting two MERS patients to a hospital without knowing they had the illness. Because of that case, two hospitals have temporarily shut down part of their emergency rooms. Boramae Medical Center and Korea Cancer Center Hospital have both issued partial shutdowns of their ERs because the ambulance driver had visited them prior to his diagnosis over the weekend.

The number of people in quarantine reached 5,216 as of today, but 2,500 have been released since the start of quarantine efforts in late May for not showing any symptoms within the two-week incubation period. The government said that the quarantine number could reach as high as 10,000 since about 4,000 people are looking at possible quarantine after either going to Samsung Medical Center or coming into contact with patients or staff who were at Samsung Medical Center. This is leading to the government possibly bringing in private clinical technicians to run MERS tests since the state institutions are now overloaded.

So far 14 people have been discharged after making complete recoveries from MERS and about 17 are in critical condition.

The health ministry is launching an investigation into Samsung Medical Center to see if the hospital did enough to contain the MERS outbreak. The center is the origin of nearly half of the infections (70 to be exact) and has shut down nearly all of its operations to get a better handle on things. The investigation team will look into why Samsung Medical Center failed in its disease control and will supervise its steps to prevent more cases. They will also assist an epidemiologist team which is currently also investigating the hospital in order to come up with better outbreak control measures.

Outside of that, the government is still worried about the financial and economic affect of the MERS outbreak. The Seoul City Government has provided emergency funds to schools to help sterilize them and for thermometers to check the students’ temperature every day before they can enter the school building.  

I came across this website in the Korea Observer Submissions group that has English updates on MERS. It includes: statistics on Korean outbreak, MERS hospital list, safe hospital list, paths of Busan patients, etc. Basically a lot of stuff that has come out from the central, city and regional governments in Korean, but hadn’t been translated into English. I figured it would be good for everyone to bookmark so that you can check it for any updates from the government and such. The English media, while providing a lot of information, has kind of missed some of the important bits.

Anyway, that’s about it. I’ll make another post if anything urgent comes out. So far we’ve only done three updates on the general MERS story today and have ran fewer MERS stories. I’m guessing this means things are pretty much just staying the same for the most part.