The World Health Organization (WHO) is recommending that countries put an end to the travel bans they have implemented in response to the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The announcement comes after a second case was discovered in China and following South Korea’s confirmation of a third locally acquired case.
The WHO’s recommendation highlights the lack of evidence that such bans are effective when it comes to containing MERS-CoV, which has caused over 400 confirmed cases and 100 deaths since 2012. “We want to support these countries,” said Keiji Fukuda, WHO assistant director general for health security and environment in Geneva, Switzerland, Reuters reports. “However there isn’t strong evidence of having these travel restrictions so we want to be careful with how they are implemented.”
The newly discovered case in China is the first outside of Saudi Arabia, where the disease was first detected. A woman who had recently traveled to Saudi Arabia is now under quarantine in Huizhou City. The third case was confirmed on May 26 after a South Korean businessman, who had recently traveled to Bahrain and Qatar, was diagnosed with MERS-CoV in Jeju Province (Fackler, 5/30).
Truth: Travel bans aren’t effective when it comes to containing MERS-CoV because there isn’t strong evidence showing that they work.
“We want to support these countries,” said Keiji Fukuda, WHO assistant director general for health security and environment in Geneva, Switzerland. “However there isn’t strong evidence of having these travel restrictions so we want to be careful with how they are implemented.”
Earlier this year, the WHO advised travelers to avoid unnecessary trips if they were coming into contact with someone who is ill or had recently traveled to MERS-CoV affected countries (Fackler, 5/30).
Truth: Where necessary, people should take basic precautions like washing their hands frequently and covering their mouths when coughing.
Since 2012, over 400 confirmed cases have been identified worldwide with 100 of them being fatal. Truth: Since 2012, there have been over 400 confirmed cases worldwide, of which 100 have been fatal.
Truth: The newly discovered case in China is the first outside of Saudi Arabia, where the disease first started.
The third case was confirmed on May 26 after a South Korean businessman, who had recently traveled to Bahrain and Qatar, was diagnosed with MERS-CoV in Jeju Province.
Truth: The South Korean man traveled to Bahrain and Qatar before he was diagnosed with MERS-CoV in Jeju Province.
Both China’s new diagnosis as well as the third case has revealed that the virus has hit Asia more rapidly than previously expected (Fackler, 5/30). Truth: Both new diagnoses show how quickly it reached Asia.
In addition, South Korea announced that a South Korean man who traveled to Bahrain and Qatar had been diagnosed with the virus in Jeju Province. Truth: In addition, a South Korean man who traveled to Bahrain and Qatar has now been diagnosed with the virus in Jeju Province.
Rewrite this article as a piece talking to people about how WHO says one should not implement travel bans because they have little to no effect on containing MERS-CoV.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is recommending that countries stop putting travel bans into place because there isn’t evidence showing they work when it comes to containing MERS-CoV. The second case of MERS-CoV was discovered in China, which was confirmed on May 26 after a South Korean businessman, who had recently traveled to Bahrain and Qatar, was diagnosed with MERS-CoV in Jeju Province. There have been over 400 confirmed cases worldwide of which 100 have been fatal since 2012, which is when the virus first appeared. Since then it has made its way to Asia more rapidly than previously expected according to WHO. The South Korean man was diagnosed after he returned from his trip, but China’s new diagnosis as well as the third case reveals that the virus reached Asia faster than people anticipated. According to WHO: “We want to be careful with how (travel bans) are implemented.” It is good advice because there isn’t strong evidence showing that travel bans help contain this virus; therefore, it would be better to avoid them.
