The Last MERS Patient (80) Hospitalized Again after Testing Positive for MERS-CoV

- The patient is now being treated in isolation at the Seoul National University Hospital.
- 61 contacts including his family members, medical staff and transfer staff are now in home quarantine.
- The EOC at the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that the 80th case, the only remaining MERS patient who was discharged from the Seoul National University Hospital after testing negative for MERS-CoV on October 1, was hospitalized again at the Seoul National University Hospital via the Samsung Medical Center (Seoul), because he developed symptoms including fever, on October 11. The results of PCR testing for MERS-CoV conducted by the Seoul National University Hospital and the KCDC as of October 12 came out positive.

* The 80th case (Male, 35): contacted a confirmed case (on May 27) → under quarantine at the Samsung Medical Center (on June 6) → confirmed MERS-positive (on June 7) → transferred to the Seoul National University Hospital (on July 3) → tested negative for MERS-CoV twice by PCR (on October 1) → discharged from the Seoul National University Hospital (on October 3) → hospitalized again at the hospital (on October 11) → tested positive for MERS-Cov (on October 12)

※ In accordance with the WHO criteria, the 80th case was released after his two different specimens collected 24 hours apart tested negative by PCR. His state has since been strictly monitored.

The patient visited the separate clinic of the Samsung Medical Center (Seoul) after the development of symptoms including fever and nausea, at 5:30 on October 11 and was transferred to and hospitalized at the isolated room of the Seoul National University Hospital at 12: 15 on the same day. The KCDC has announced that 61 contacts including his family members, medical staff and transfer staff are now being under home quarantine, based on when the patient developed symptoms; and contact tracing is ongoing.

* The 61 contacts under home quarantine include 4 family members, 29 medical staff, 16 inpatients and caretakers, and 12 transfer staff.

- The KCDC convened a consultative meeting on October 12, to discuss how the patient will be handled. When it comes to why the patient, who confirmed MERS-negative, suddenly tested positive for the virus, experts said that the minimum amount of genes of the virus dormant in the body, equivalent to what he had for two months before his release, was likely to be detected, and would never be highly transmissible.

- According to the KCDC, the patient is now being treated in isolation at the Seoul National University Hospital, and the robust quarantine and monitoring of all contacts continue to be conducted.