Fears Of MERS Outbreak During Hajj Pilgrimage ‘Probably Overblown’
Vox: Why worries about a MERS virus outbreak at the Hajj are probably overblown
Julia Belluz, health reporter at Vox
“…There are a few reasons fears about a deadly outbreak [of MERS] are overblown. … Heading up to this year’s Hajj, [a pilgrimage taken by millions to Saudi Arabia’s Mecca,] the MERS situation looks pretty familiar. This isn’t the first time there’s been a rapid upturn in cases in the Arabian Peninsula just before the Hajj. … [T]here’s no reason to believe the virus has mutated to become any more contagious than before. What’s more, the virus has never been shown to spread for any sustained period of time outside of health care facilities. … There’s no reason to believe this year will be any different from the last, though outbreaks can always take the world by surprise…” (8/25).
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