South Korea reports first Mers deaths amid growing alarm

Visitors wearing masks walk past a health advisory sign warning about the Mers virus outside a quarantine tent at Seoul National University Hospital in Seoul on June 2, 2015. Chung Sung-Jun/Getty ImagShow more

SEOUL // South Korea on Tuesday reported its first deaths from the Mers virus, following the largest outbreak outside the Middle East that has infected 25 people and triggered widespread public alarm.

A 58-year-old woman died of acute respiratory failure on Monday and tests later came back positive for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, the health ministry said.

The other victim was a 71-year-old man who was confirmed to have the virus several days ago and died on Tuesday.

Previously, the only other fatal Mers case in Asia was a man who died in Malaysia in April 2014.

Six more South Koreans were diagnosed with the virus on Monday, bringing the total number of people infected to 25 including the two deceased.

The first case – a 68-year-old man diagnosed after returning from a trip to Saudi Arabia – was reported on May 20.

Around 750 people who were exposed directly or indirectly to the virus have now been placed under mandatory or voluntary quarantine.

Health minister Moon Hyung-pyo appealed to anyone placed under voluntary quarantine for the two-week incubation period to observe isolation guidelines.

He also urged citizens to wear surgical face masks in public places and to wash their hands frequently to minimise chances of infection.

The outbreak has been met with growing public alarm, and online retailers reported a 700 per cent surge in sales of face masks over the weekend.

Concerns will be further fuelled by the health ministry’s announcement that two of the new cases involved tertiary infections.

Previously, all the infections had involved patients in the same hospital as the initial carrier, their relatives or hospital staff with whom he came into contact.

“We are tracking down additional cases [of tertiary infection] ... with the possibility of more new infections in mind,” said Kwon Jun-wook, a senior health ministry official leading an emergency task force team.

More are expected to be quarantined or put under observation, Mr Kwon said, adding that some 240 people had been banned from travelling overseas.

Three patients are currently in critical condition, he added.

Acting prime minister Choi Kyung-hwan vowed “all-out efforts” to curb the spread of the virus, citing public concern that the initial response had been “poor”.

“We should use all our national resources to alleviate public concerns,” he said.

One primary school in Gyeonggi province, located near the hospital where the female victim died, closed down temporarily as parents withdrew their children.

According to the Yonhap news agency, dozens more schools in the area were also considering temporary shutdowns.

More than 20 countries have been affected by the Mers virus, which has no known cure or vaccine, with most cases in Saudi Arabia where it has claimed more than 400 lives since 2012.* Agence France-Presse