Filipino MERS victim to be cremated in UAE

Relatives of the health worker who died of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus are now in the United Arab Emirates to retrieve the body.

In an interview on GMA News' “Balitanghali” on Tuesday, Foreign Affairs spokesperson Charles Jose said the relatives are now coordinating with the Philippine Embassy for the body's cremation.

While details were still uncertain, Jose said the worker may have been exposed to the virus while attending to his rounds.

In light of the incident, all Filipino workers in the Middle East have been warned to take necessary precautions to avoid contracting the virus.

“Pinapayuhan din namin sila na (sumunod) sa pag-uutos ng kanilang local health authorities. At kung maka-experience sila ng anumang sintomas ay agad pumunta sa pinaka-malapit na hospital,” said Jose.

Five other medical personnel who served with the deceased health worker are now recovering from MERS. They were paramedics at the Al Ain Rescue and Ambulance Section.

Meanwhile, the family of the deceased will receive death benefits from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

This the second reported MERS-related fatality involving a Filipino in the Middle East. A 41-year-old Filipina nurse died from the infection in August 2013.

MERS is a novel virus often referred to as the Middle East’s own version of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Symptoms of MERS include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and even diarrhea.

Human cases of MERS have also been reported in other Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan and Oman. — Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News

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