It is just natural that in this time of the year there are a lot of pilgrims in Saudi Arabia. According to the latest news there is a new deadly virus spreading among the people of the country. This is why the officials asked the pilgrims to wear masks, thus putting an end to the spreading of the virus.
Mecca
There are a lot of believers going to Mecca. Millions of Muslim pilgrims are expected in a few months for the annual Hajj. In the same time there are many other people who visit Mecca during Ramadan, which has already begun.
What kind of a virus is it?
Since there are so many people in such a small place, it is the perfect environment of the spreading of the MERS virus. This stands for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, which now is present all over Saudi Arabia. The good news is that until this moment only this region is affected.
Risks
This disease is caused by the coronavirus that affects the respiratory system. The sad truth is that more than half of the people who contracted the virus died because of it. There were 81 infected people in total, of which 45 died. There were 66 people affected in Saudi Arabia and 35 died in this country.
Those vulnerable
In the majority of the cases the disease affected older men. Until this point, there is little evidence indicating that the condition could become as serious as SARS even though it is caused by a similar virus.
Religion
It is a known fact that all Muslim people should take a trip to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. The authorities instruct the pilgrims to take measures to protect their health. The majority of the indications are common sense measures that could protect people even against the common cold.
What to do?
In order to avoid contracting the infection, people should wash their hands often, especially after their cough or sneeze, throw away the tissues they use, and avoid touching their nose, eyes and mouth in public places.
Surgical masks
According to the ministry of health, it might be a good idea for people to wear surgical masks in public. The officials also added that the people with weak immune systems should avoid traveling to Mecca in this period of the year. This involves people who have chronic diseases such as diabetes.
