MERS patient improving

BANGKOK, Jan 31 (TNA) -- The symptom of 71-year-old Omani patient who is suffering from the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is now improving, but he is still having fever and doctors have to provide him with oxygen as the patient feels weak, said Dr Amnuay Gajeena, director-general of Public Health Ministry’s Disease Control Department. The Omani patient of MERS is a second disease victim reported in Thailand so far. Dr Amnuay said Saturday that the Omani patient is now receiving treatment at the quarantine unit of the Ministry’s Bamrasnaradoon Institute. His lung infection had improved and could walk, talk and eat. On some 40 others who were believed to have come into close contact with the patient, he said 26 of them are under close supervision of the doctors. All of them are still healthy. To date, the United Nations World Health Organisation has reported that a total of 1,632 MERS patients have been found in 26 countries. It said 587 patients died of the disease so far. (TNA)