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No coronavirus cases registered in South Korea in past day

Currently, as many as 36 MERS patients are undergoing treatment in hospitals, with 12 of them being in unstable condition

SEOUL, July 9. /TASS/. No cases of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) or MERS-related deaths have been reported in South Korea in the past day, South Korea’s ministry of health and welfare said on Thursday.

Currently, as many as 36 MERS patients are undergoing treatment in hospitals, with 12 of them being in unstable condition. The overall death toll from the disease in South Korea is 35. As many as 186 cases have been registered since May 20. A total of 689 people who had contacts with MERS patients are under home quarantine.

The first MERS case in South Korea was registered on May 20.

Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is a viral respiratory infection caused by the newly identified MERS-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) that is new to humans. It was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and has since spread to other countries, including Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France - 23 in all, where more than 1,100 MERS cases have been officially registered, of which 40% ended in patients’ deaths.

Most MERS-CoV patients develop severe acute respiratory illness, including fever, cough, and trouble breathing. About 3-4 out of every 10 MERS patients die. MERS-CoV is spread through close contact.