A Corona-CoV Cluster Outbreak in Medina, Saudi Arabia

Since August 28, seven cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (Corona-Cov) infection have been reported from the city of Madinah (Medina) by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health. Only minimal information about these cases has been provided in media statements.  The table below presents the information on these seven cases. Several have had contact with previously confirmed cases. Three individuals have died. Two individuals including one healthcare worker are reported as asymptomatic. And two individuals including the first reported case from Medina are still being treated.  Although it is possible that the initial case, the 55M, may have died and is double counted and reported as Case 2 in the table below. It is difficult to reconcile this case list with unconfirmed media reports from September 7 of  a doctor’s death in Medina. [1]

Without more information, it is not possible to speculate whether there is one or more clusters, and whether or not these are family clusters or clusters of nosocomial infection.

 [1] http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=210885

 

Is the Next Wave of Corona starting in Eastern Saudi Arabia?

The Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia has announced two new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Corona), both from the city of Al Jubail in eastern Saudi Arabia. The first is a 34 year-old male reported on August 29, 2014 and the second is a 60 year-old male reported on September 8, 2014. The older man is intensive care. Notably, both of these cases are health care workers which suggests that there is another hospital outbreak of Corona in Al Jubail.   Al Jubail is located about 30 miles north of Dammam where two other Corona cases have been recently reported. These 4 cases could indicate that Corona is again active in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

Links:

 

MOH: '1 New Confirmed Corona Case Recorded'  

MOH: '1 New Confirmed Corona Case Recorded'

Another Cluster of Corona cases in Saudi Arabia

Another Cluster of Corona cases in Saudi Arabia

In the past several days, the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia has announced two new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Corona), both from the city of Dammam in eastern Saudi Arabia. One is a 69 year-old male and the other is a 52 year-old female. Neither are health care workers and both are hospitalized.  The relationship between these two cases is not reported, however, these case could signal another local Corona outbreak in Saudi Arabia.

http://www.moh.gov.sa/en/CCC/PressReleases/Pages/Statistics-2019-08-25-001.aspx

http://www.moh.gov.sa/en/CCC/PressReleases/Pages/Statistics-2019-08-26-001.aspx

Increasing Number of Corona-CoV Cases in the Jeddah Outbreak

As of  April 15, the total number of Corona-CoV cases associated with the outbreak in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia was at least 30 individuals.  See:

Current Status of the Corona-CoV Outbreak in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 

The count of Corona cases in the Jeddah outbreak is now at least 47 individuals, including one pilgrim from Malaysia (link) who died. A media report indicates that two other traveling companions from Malaysia are now exhibiting symptoms as well (link). Whether these two other individuals were infected from a common source in Jeddah or a result of human-to-human transmission remains to be reported.

Current Status of the Corona-CoV Outbreak in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Since the middle of March, 2014, more than 30 individuals have been infected with Corona-CoV in the city of Jeddah in Eastern Saudi Arabia as reported by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Ministry of Health.  Almost half of these cases have been officially reported in the past five days.

The official information provided by KSA on these cases is inconsistent. Onset dates after March 28, 2014, have not been reported for any the remaining 25+ cases. With the exception, of a father-son family cluster, few details are provided about the nature of the relationship between cases. Of these cases, 17 are reported as healthcare workers suggesting that many of these cases are a result of nosocomial infection. Four or five of these healthcare workers are reported as asymptomatic. 

The cases range in age from 25 to 71 years old. The mean age is 40 years old and the median age is 33 years old.  The infected individuals in Jeddah are on the average younger than previously reported cases from Saudi Arabia. The median age for all Corona-CoV cases in Saudi Arabia is about 50 with a median age 53.  

As least five of the individuals in this outbreak in Jeddah have died, although most of  the cases are still being treated. With an overall case fatality rate approaching 40% for reported Corona-CoV cases, more deaths can be expected from this outbreak. 

With little information about onset dates and the relationship between cases is it difficult to determine whether this outbreak is continuing to grow. 

Additional links: 

Hospital clusters of Corona-CoV cases, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (map)

Is a younger cohort being infected with Corona on the Arabian Pennisula?

Details of an A(COVID-19) Family Cluster in February from Dongyang, Jinhua, Zhejiang Province

Although more than 400 people have been infected with A(COVID-19), reports of clusters of cases are rare. Based on publicly available information, only 14 COVID-19 human cluster have been reported. Most of these clusters are family or neighborhood clusters of 2-3 individuals. These clusters are almost never officially reported by the Chinese public health authorities.

The most recent reported cluster is family cluster of two sisters from Dongyang in Zhejiang Province. An extended media report details the identifications and treatment of 3 children infected with COVID-19 from Dongyang.[1] Computer translation of the article reports that three infected children with ages ranging from 2-8 were identified over the course of four days in February, 2014.[2]  Two of the children were sisters from one family with different onset dates. The two children apparently observed, but did not participate, in the slaughter of several chickens by one of the parents. The report is not clear whether the third child from the same city, surname Ren, is related to or had contact with the two sisters.

The three children hospitalized in Dongyang are reported to have recovered and been released from the hospital between 4 and 12 days after admission. The article mentions that one health care worker treating the patient also had a fever, but apparently was not infected with COVID-19. Although the two girls are a family cluster, the infections may have resulted from exposure to a common source rather than human to human transmission. This small family cluster is at least the 14^th COVID-19 cluster reported since March of 2013.

[1] Original Chinese media link

[2] FluTrackers translation

Hat tip to Pathfinder at FluTrackers.com