The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in South Korea,which still hasn’t settled, had raised tension throughout the country. The official number of infectees was announced as 186 people so far, and 36 deaths were reported by the Health official. The World Health Organization have urged the government to continue to maintain strong control measures, thoroughly tracing infected people's contacts and preventing suspected patients from travelling.The South Korean outbreak was reported to be the largest outside Saudi Arabia. The start was from a 68-year-old man who returned from a business trip to the Middle East in early May. It has spread through hospitals, schools, air conditioners, and streets etc a slight mistake from being incautious affected the whole country. Particularly, overcrowded emergency rooms, hospital wards, and the habit of "doctor shopping" had worsened the situation- which is an odd culture in Korea, visiting several facilities for the same complaint. MERS is caused by a coronavirus from the same family as the one that triggered SARS, though MERS does not spread as easily as SARS. The first cases emerged in the Middle East in 2012, and the first death in Saudi Arabia in June that year. It is not known for certain how it is transmitted, but it is possible the virus is spread in droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Approximately 36% of reported patients with Mers have died since there is no vaccine or specific treatment. The South Korean outbreak has taken a toll on Asia's fourth biggest economy, with tourists cancelling visits and consumers staying at home, streets emptied, schools shutting down, and have dented the popularity President Park Geun-hye, whose government was criticized for its initial response. South Korea's central bank cut interest rates to a record low in a move seen as an attempt to stem the economic fallout from the outbreak in Hospitalshad closed down after the releaseof infectees’ traces, and the family members of the deceased are rising to litigate the compensation. As part of the efforts, South Korean authorities were contacting nearly 42,000 people who had visited a hospital in the capital, Seoul that has been at the center of the outbreak, with half of the country's infections happening there. About 2,900 schools were closed and 3,680 people were isolated as of Friday after possible contacts with those infected. All schools in Seoul were imposed to check all the students temperatures and distribute hand sanitizers everyday. "Given the current developments, we have judged that it has leveled off, but we need to watch further spread, further cases from so-called intensive control hospitals," the South Korean health ministry's chief policy official, Kwon Deok-cheol, told a briefing. Meanwhile, the government’s outlook is for MERS to cease by the end of July.
