Mohammad Dawood

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

 

JEDDAH — A 61-year-old Saudi man died of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in a government hospital in Riyadh on Tuesday and three new confirmed cases of the infection were reported in Arar, Makkah and Jeddah respectively, the Ministry of Health announced.



According to reports, the 61-year-old man suffered from various other diseases.



The ministry said a 55-year-old Saudi woman showed signs of the infection and was admitted to a government hospital in Arar in stable condition, while a 42-year-old expatriate male was confined to a government hospital in Makkah and another expatriate admitted to a government hospital in Jeddah.



The ministry said a 37-year-old expatriate male who was receiving treatment for the disease in a government hospital in Riyadh had recovered and was discharged from the hospital in good health.



Meanwhile, the ministry's command and control center said in a report that 59 people contracted the infection in various parts of the Kingdom during the period from Feb. 20 to March 20.



Dr.  Abdulaziz Bin Saeed, undersecretary of the ministry, said three Asian female nurses who were suspected to have the virus were prevented from leaving the Kingdom pending results of lab tests for the infection. "We are keen not to export the virus to the outside world. Therefore, confirmed or suspected cases should not be allowed to travel outside the country," he said.