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S. Korea mulls announcing end to MERS

South Korea is considering announcing an end to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak in early August if no new cases are confirmed by then, a government official said Thursday.

As of early Thursday, South Korea has reported no additional MERS cases for 11 straight days, with no fatalities occurring since Friday. The number of people diagnosed with MERS in the country remained unchanged at 186, and the MERS death toll also stayed flat at 36.

Kwon Deok-cheol, head of the central MERS task force, told reporters in Sejong that while the government accepts recommendations made by the World Health Organization, it is in the process of outlining its own assessment of the situation to the U.N. agency.

"We plan to adhere to WHO's position, but at the same time, policymakers are contemplating a move to independently lower the MERS alert status from the current 'caution' to the lowest level of 'attention,'" the official said. "Such a move will be the same as announcing the end to the respiratory disease."

He did not give dates but hinted that the downgrading of the alert status may be carried out on or around Aug. 2. The date will mark the 28th day after the last confirmed MERS cases was diagnosed in the country on July 4.

The government's criteria for taking this step is slightly different from those set by the United Nations health organization that is expected to announce the end of MERS four weeks after the last infected person has tested negative for the illness-inducing coronavirus.

Under this system, South Korea can only be declared a MERS-free country after the middle of next month.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said earlier in the day there are 258 people in isolation as suspected cases following possible exposure to the MERS virus, down 64 people from the day before. 

Out of the nearly 16,700 people who have been subject to isolation since May 20 when the first MERS case was confirmed,

16,432 have been released after showing no symptoms for more than the known maximum incubation period of 14 days for the disease.

Out of those diagnosed with MERS, 133 have been discharged from hospitals following complete recoveries.

Of the remaining 17 receiving treatment in hospitals, four are in unstable condition, while 12 have already tested negative for the MERS virus, a sign they have overcome the disease, according to health authorities. They added that the government will pay for the medical bills of people suffering from the side effects of MERS.

MERS is a viral respiratory disease that is still fairly new to humans. The disease has claimed over 530 lives globally, posting a fatality rate of over 36 percent.

In South Korea, the fatality rate stands at 19.4 percent, with most of the people succumbing to the illness having had underlying medical conditions. The ministry said 91.7 percent of the people who died were being treated for cancer or had serious heart, lung or kidney conditions.

There currently is no vaccine or treatment for the disease that was first reported only in 2012 in Saudi Arabia. (Yonhap)