Coronavirus Forces School Closures in South Korea

Following the hospitalization of at least 30 people and the death of 2 individuals in South Korea due to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS), more than 200 elementary schools in the country have been closed since June 3. Simultaneously, dozens of public events have been canceled, and hundreds of people are under observation. This recent action by Seoul comes amid severe criticism faced by the South Korean government, led by Ms. Park Geun-hye, regarding its response to the initial known cases and its handling of the virus outbreak. Last night, five new patients were hospitalized in the country. News agencies report that this is the largest outbreak of this deadly virus outside of Saudi Arabia. The first case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome was reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. This virus belongs to the coronavirus family and statistics show it can take the lives of one-third of those infected. In South Korea, two individuals have died in recent days due to this syndrome. The majority of initial cases of the virus have been found in countries neighboring Saudi Arabia. Iranian news agencies reported last year that two cases of this virus were observed, and a 53-year-old woman in Kerman lost her life due to it. There is no specific treatment or vaccine for this virus. Compared to the SARS virus, infection with MERS is more challenging, but estimates suggest it is deadlier. The first observed case in South Korea was a traveler who returned from Saudi Arabia in May. The World Health Organization expects to see more cases of this virus in South Korea soon. A total of 1,161 known cases of this disease have been reported in 20 countries, with 436 fatalities.