<p>Dang! This “bug” sounds nasty! Thankfully so far there have been no confirmed cases in the US–Yet! Our world has so many international travelers, I am afraid it will be a global virus soon. :-(</p>
<p>[CDC</a> Features - Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)](<a href=“http://www.cdc.gov/features/novelcoronavirus/?mobile=nocontent]CDC”>http://www.cdc.gov/features/novelcoronavirus/?mobile=nocontent)</p>
<p>Ugh. Have you seen the movie “Contagion” with Gwyneth Paltrow? Scary.</p>
<p>I’m sure it’s already a global virus- doctors just don’t know what to classify it yet.</p>
<p>Well it’s been around for over a year now and somehow seems deadliest in Saudi Arabia. Probably lots of others may have been unknowingly infected and recovered. The WHO numbers are probably from hospitalizations and autopsies. :-(</p>
<p>This must be God’s punishment for all the open toleration of homosexuals in SA.</p>
<p>Very funny.</p>
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<p>It could be a lot more common, but a lot less deadly, than people are assuming if there have been a large number of asymptomatic or mild infections that people would not see their doctors for.</p>
<p>I suspect only hospitalized patients are diagnosed and counted. The symptoms sound too common to be separated from other malaise and likely are never detected, except possibly upon autopsy. </p>
<p>Ramadan is next month and it is expected that millions of the faithful will go to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. I’m sure sanitation practices like in ships will be attempted.</p>
<p>Hajj (the main pilgrimage to Mecca) is in about four months.</p>
<p>However, the main concentration of MERS is in the eastern part of the KSA, not the western part where Mecca is. But MERS could still hitch a ride on pilgrims going there, and on other pilgrims departing afterward.</p>
<p>Thanks for the clarification. I was basing my post on the WHO report I read upthread. It still is an issue that is a global concern because so little is known about what causes MERS, how it spreads, any effective treatment or prevention. It’s especially for those of us with serious respiratory conditions, including those with asthma and COPD.</p>