SEOUL: Five new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) have been confirmed in South Korea and another person has died from the virus, the South Korea’s Ministry of Health said on Monday.
The new cases took the total to 150 in an outbreak that is the largest outside Saudi Arabia.
The death brings to 16 the number of deaths while up to 17 patients are in an unstable condition.
Among them was a doctor who had performed CPR on an infected patient in Daejeon and one infected in Samsung Medical Centre in Seoul.
Out of 150 people who contracted MERS since an outbreak began in South Korea last month, 120 are undergoing treatment.
South Korean health officials this weekend said the outbreak there was slowing, but additional cases were expected.
According to the World Health Organization, the strain of coronavirus that causes MERS was first identified in 2012 in Saudi Arabia.
