MERS Explained: What You Need to Know About This Serious Respiratory Virus

You may not have heard of MERS before today. But because of recent global pandemics, we are all much more familiar with coronavirus family illnesses now. MERS is a type of coronavirus that affects your lungs and breathing, and it can sometimes become very serious. Learning about this condition can help protect you and your loved ones if you travel or meet people from affected areas.

What Is MERS?

Simply put, MERS is a serious lung illness that makes it hard to breathe. The cause is a specific germ called the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, or MERS-CoV for short. Public health experts first discovered this illness in Saudi Arabia in 2012. That is why people call it the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome.

Understanding Coronaviruses.

You might wonder what coronaviruses are and why they can cause concern. These germs are actually a large family of viruses rather than a single bug. They usually infect birds, dogs, cats, and farm animals. Sometimes, these germs change or mutate so they can pass to humans.

Scientists first discovered coronaviruses in the mid-1960s. Since then, experts have identified seven specific strains that can infect people. Four of these strains cause mild cold symptoms that go away quickly. However, three strains can cause severe illness and threaten your life:

• SARS-CoV: Experts identified this severe acute respiratory syndrome strain in 2003 during an international outbreak.
• MERS-CoV: This is the specific strain we are discussing in this guide, discovered in 2012.
• SARS-CoV-2: This virus caused the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

✨ Wellness care Verified Partner

Natural Pain and Sleep Wellness Care

Herbal wellness products for back pain, joint pain and insomnia.

Check Availability →

How Common Is MERS?

You might wonder how often this illness occurs around the world. According to the World Health Organization, public health agencies recorded about 2,519 cases between 2012 and January 2020. Even though people reported cases across 27 different countries, about 80 percent of those patients were in Saudi Arabia.

Almost everyone else who caught the virus had visited or lived in countries on the Arabian Peninsula, such as Qatar, Oman, or the United Arab Emirates. Because many people travel internationally for work, staying informed is helpful. Only a couple of cases were ever reported in the United States, and both involved healthcare workers who traveled to Saudi Arabia.

Who Is at Higher Risk?

Certain people face a higher chance of catching this infection due to travel or close contact. Consider these important risk factors:

• Traveling recently to countries in the Arabian Peninsula.
• Living with or closely caring for someone who fell ill after visiting that region.
• Working as a doctor without using proper protective gear around infected patients.
• Touching camels directly, eating raw camel meat, or drinking unpasteurized camel milk.

Where Did the MERS Virus Come from?

Researchers believe that MERS, SARS, and COVID-19 all started in animals before spreading to humans. Bats appear to be the original source for many of these coronaviruses.

• The MERS-CoV virus likely passed from bats to camels, and then from camels to humans.
• The SARS-CoV virus reached humans through small mammals called civets.
• Scientists are still studying the exact animal source that brought COVID-19 to people.

How Does MERS Spread?

Like many other respiratory infections, the MERS-CoV germ lives inside your respiratory tract. When you cough or sneeze, tiny droplets carry the virus into the air around you.

MERS spreads from person to person, but it does not spread as fast as COVID-19. Passing the virus to someone else usually requires very close contact, such as living in the same home or caring for a patient in a hospital. Health officials rarely see widespread community transmission.

You can also catch MERS from camels. Animals in the Middle East carry virus strains that match the ones found in sick human patients, confirming that camels can transmit the disease.

What Are the Symptoms of MERS?

Some people who catch MERS have no symptoms at all. Others experience mild cold-like signs. However, some patients develop severe illness that threatens their health. Typical signs include:

• Cough .
• Fever, which can sometimes run very high .
• Shortness of breath .

Some people also report stomach and gut issues like diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. These symptoms usually start anywhere from two to fourteen days after your body encounters the virus.

Dangerous Complications Caused by MERS.

When MERS gets worse, it can lead to dangerous health problems. This is the part of the illness that requires the most medical attention. In severe cases, the virus causes pneumonia, respiratory failure, and the need for mechanical ventilation in a hospital. It can also cause your kidneys to stop working properly.

Medical data suggests that about 35 percent of people who contract severe MERS do not survive. This means roughly one out of every three reported patients passes away. However, the true death rate might be lower because mild or unrecorded cases are never counted in those statistics.

Your risk of severe illness is higher if you have underlying medical conditions that weaken your immune system, such as:

• Cancer .
• Chronic heart disease .
• Chronic kidney disease .
• Chronic lung disease, such as asthma or COPD .
• Diabetes mellitus .
• Older age .

How Do Doctors Diagnose MERS?

If you have a fever, cough, and trouble breathing, your doctor will ask about your recent medical history. You must tell your doctor if you recently traveled to the Middle East, worked around camels, or spent time with sick people.

Doctors use special laboratory tests to confirm an active MERS infection. They may collect several types of samples:

• Lower respiratory sample: Your doctor may ask you to cough up sputum into a cup, or they might insert a thin, flexible tube down your throat to collect lung fluid.
• Upper respiratory sample: This involves swabbing the inside of your nose or the back of your throat.
• Serum sample: A nurse draws a sample of your blood and spins it in a centrifuge to separate the liquid serum. Testing this liquid reveals if your immune system made antibodies against the virus.

Not every medical lab performs MERS testing. Your doctor will likely send your samples to a specialized public health laboratory or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Treatments for MERS.

There is currently no specific antiviral medicine approved to cure MERS. Because no special pill kills this exact virus, doctors focus on supportive care while your own body fights off the infection.

• If your symptoms are mild, you can rest at home and take over-the-counter medicine like paracetamol for fever and pain.
• Severe illness requires hospital care, which may include intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration, supplemental oxygen for breathing trouble, mechanical ventilation if your lungs need machine support, or dialysis if your kidneys fail.

How to Stop MERS From Spreading If You Are Sick.

If you test positive for MERS or suspect you have it, follow these steps right away to keep others safe:

• Stay home and isolate yourself in a separate room away from other household members. Use a separate bathroom if possible.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If you use hand sanitizer, make sure it contains at least 60 percent alcohol.
• Wear a face mask whenever you must be near other people in your home.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, throw the tissue into a lined trash can, and wash your hands right away.
• Call your doctor before visiting their office so staff can prepare protective measures.
• Call your local emergency department or doctor right away if your breathing difficulty worsens.

When Can You Return to Normal Activities?

Once you feel better, talk with your doctor before resuming your normal daily routine. Local health departments will provide guidance on how long you should stay isolated to ensure you no longer pose a risk to others. Doctors usually require your symptoms to resolve and follow-up tests to confirm the virus is gone.

How to Prevent MERS.

No vaccine currently exists to prevent MERS. Protecting yourself relies on the same good hygiene habits used for other respiratory infections:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after going outside, before eating, and after using the restroom.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your elbow when coughing or sneezing.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Stay away from anyone who looks sick with cold or flu symptoms.
• Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces in your home like doorknobs and phones.

If you travel to the Middle East, take these extra precautions around camels:

• Wash your hands thoroughly after touching camels and avoid animals that look sick.
• Do not drink unpasteurized camel milk and avoid eating raw or undercooked camel meat.
• If you have chronic health conditions or a weak immune system, avoid camel barns and markets entirely.

How to Protect Yourself When Caring for a Sick Person.

If you live with or care for someone who has MERS, health authorities recommend these extra precautions:

• Wear a face mask, a protective gown, and disposable gloves whenever you handle their body fluids or secretions.
• Wash their dishes, utensils, bedding, and clothes wearing gloves, and keep their laundry separate from other household items.
• Wash your hands thoroughly right away after removing your gloves.

What Happens If You Catch MERS?

If you have not traveled to the Arabian Peninsula or had close contact with someone who was sick there, your chance of catching MERS is extremely low. There is no need to panic.

However, if you do contract MERS, your risk of severe illness increases if you have pre-existing health conditions. Your doctor will monitor your condition closely and provide supportive care to manage your symptoms safely.

When to See a Doctor.

If you develop respiratory symptoms like fever, cough, and shortness of breath, and you think you had exposure to the MERS-CoV virus through travel or sick contacts, contact a doctor right away.

MERS symptoms can become very severe and threaten your life. If your breathing gets worse or you feel dizzy and confused, call 911 or 999 or go to the nearest emergency department right away.

Sources & References:

• World Health Organization (WHO). Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) Fact Sheet.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) Overview.
• National Health Service (NHS UK). Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) Guidance.
• Mayo Clinic. MERS-CoV Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment Information.
• Cleveland Clinic. Coronaviruses and Respiratory Health Patient Education.