Thailand on alert against Coronavirus

BANGKOK, September 25 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Public Health's Department of Disease Control held a meeting of viral experts in Bangkok Tuesday afternoon to discuss measures against the new Coronavirus, after two patients have been infected with the virus, although no link has been detected between the two cases. Disease Control Department Director-General Dr. Porntep Siriwanarangsan told reporters that participants in the meeting included those from the ministry's Bureau of Epidemiology and the Department of Medical Science, as well as those from the US Department of Disease Control and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Dr. Porntep said issues discussed at the meeting included any possible link of outbreaks of the Coronavirus and measures to prevent Thai people from contracting the virus, especially Thai-Muslims who are traveling to Saudi Arabia's Holy Mecca City for their annual Hajj, during which they meet a massive crowd of people from around the world. An expert of Thailand's Department of Disease Control, Dr. Kamnuan Ungchoosak, meanwhile, confirmed, citing WHO information, that there has been no link between the two patients who have been infected with the Coronavirus, and that preliminary research found the new Coronavirus and the 2003 deadly SARS virus have a different spreading nature. The first Coronavirus patient is a Saudi man reported several months ago; while the second patient is a 49-year-old Qatar man who was infected with the virus on September 3 and was then sent to a British hospital on September 11. However, no one close to the two patients, including their doctors, nurses and family members, have been found to have contracted the new viral disease. (TNA)