ABU DHABI // An Emirati man has died after being infected with the Mers coronavirus.
The man, 82, is the first confirmed death in the UAE of someone infected with the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, known as Mers-CoV.
He died this month and was not known to have travelled abroad, the World Health Organisation said.
The patient had been undergoing chemotherapy for the past two years, the WHO said. Patients with pre-existing conditions are known to be susceptible to the coronavirus.
"He presented with acute respiratory distress on July 6," a spokesman for the organisation said yesterday. "His condition deteriorated and he was hospitalised in ICU on July 8 and confirmed with Mers on July 10."
The details were provided after the WHO announced on Wednesday that "a previously laboratory-confirmed case from the UAE has died".
The man was the first case to be confirmed within the UAE. Previous cases were confirmed only after the patients left for treatment abroad.
An Emirati man died in hospital in Germany in March and a Frenchman who visited Dubai died in May.
The latest Emirati case was being treated for bone-marrow cancer when his infection was diagnosed, the state news agency Wam reported in July.
That month it was reported that four Abu Dhabi doctors involved in treating him had also been infected with the coronavirus.
The healthcare workers were from two hospitals. At the time the Health Authority Abu Dhabi said the four, all in stable conditions, had been isolated.
The WHO said that of those four, a man, 28, and a woman, 30, did not have symptoms. The others, women aged 30 and 40, had mild respiratory problems.
No update was provided on their condition yesterday.
Dr Ulrich Wernery, scientific director of the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory in Dubai, said he had told authorities his high-security laboratory had the resources to conduct tests for Mers.
Dr Wernery said it was possible the latest Emirati victim contracted the virus in the UAE but, "the most likely possibility is that he has had contact with people who have travelled and caught it somewhere and then infected him".
He said the virus was known to be contagious in humans.
"The source of the virus is completely unknown so far but we will find it one day, that's for sure," he said. "But we have to search for it and it might take quite a while."
Scientists at Columbia University have said an Egyptian tomb bat has been found to harbour a virus genetically identical to Mers.
This month Bloomberg reported that the bat's faeces tested positive for the virus and it was the first time researchers had been able to pinpoint a specific animal host for the pathogen.
The finding was published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.
The droppings from the bat were reportedly collected a few kilometres from the home of the first-known victim of Mers, in Saudi Arabia.
On Wednesday, the WHO announced it had been informed of another eight laboratory-confirmed cases of Mers infection in Saudi Arabia.
They included two men with underlying medical conditions from Riyadh, who died.
Globally, since September last year, it has been told of 104 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection, including 49 deaths.
The first case of Mers linked to the UAE was that of a 73-year-old Abu Dhabi man, who was treated at Mafraq Hospital before he was moved to Germany.
The Emirati, who had a history of cancer, died in a Munich hospital on March 26, 11 days after developing flu-like symptoms.
WHO has also been told of two laboratory-confirmed Mers infections in Qatar.
One, a 59-year old man with an underlying medical condition, became ill on August 15. He is in a stable condition in hospital.
Preliminary investigations show he travelled to Medina in Saudi Arabia for six days and returned to Qatar on the day he became sick.
The second patient is a man, 29, with an underlying medical condition who had no history of recent travel outside the country.
ecleland@thenational.ae
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
Bio
Age: 25
Town: Al Diqdaqah – Ras Al Khaimah
Education: Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering
Favourite colour: White
Favourite place in the UAE: Downtown Dubai
Favourite book: A Life in Administration by Ghazi Al Gosaibi.
First owned baking book: How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m; Winner: Gurm, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Al Nafece, Al Muatasm Al Balushi, Mohammed Ramadan
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Adrie de Vries, Ibrahim Aseel
6.30pm: Arabian Triple Crown – Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Ottoman, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7pm: Liwa Oasis – Group 2 (PA) 300,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Hakeemat Muscat, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ganbaru, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
MANDOOB
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Ali%20Kalthami%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Mohammed%20Dokhei%2C%20Sarah%20Taibah%2C%20Hajar%20Alshammari%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Racecard
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah Group Two (PA) US$55,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Meydan Trophy (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,900m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,200m
8.15pm: Balanchine Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,000m
9.25pm: Firebreak Stakes Group Three (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections: 6.30pm: RM Lam Tara, 7.05pm: Al Mukhtar Star, 7.40pm: Bochart, 8.15pm: Magic Lily, 8.50pm: Roulston Scar, 9.25pm: Quip, 10pm: Jalmoud
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
QUARTER-FINAL
Wales 20-19 France
Wales: T: Wainwright, Moriarty. Cons: Biggar (2) Pens: Biggar 2
France: T: Vahaamahina, Ollivon, Vakatawa Cons: Ntamack (2)
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
'Avengers: Infinity War'
Dir: The Russo Brothers
Starring: Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Robert Downey Junior, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen
Four stars
Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
MATCH INFO
Hoffenheim v Liverpool
Uefa Champions League play-off, first leg
Location: Rhein-Neckar-Arena, Sinsheim
Kick-off: Tuesday, 10.45pm (UAE)
