All the citizens are afraid of MERS. New coronavirus infection appeared around the Arabian Peninsular recently. Now, the MERS situation seems stable, but it doesn't mean MERS is finished.
According to Busan city officials, all the people in Busan who have been tested or positive or negative on the MERS test were totally 210 on June 23. Only one patient died from MERS. No.143 patient, second person who was infected by MERS, got negative reaction on the MERS test on 19, 22 in June. The patient has been looking forward to being discharged from the hospital. No more patients appeared after No.143 patient.
The situation has been okay, but citizens are still uneasy. So, Suh Byung-soo, mayor of Busan, visited a hospital, a pharmacy, and a restaurant where the first MERS patient dropped by. Kim Seok-joon, superintendent of education, visited a lot of schools where people went by. Moreover, the Busan city government answered the questions on SNS, and inform people of the MERS promptly.
It is difficult for foreigners to access and understand the MERS information. So, Busan MERS Hotline provides multi-language service starting June 18. Six languages(English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Russian, Uzbekistan) are served for 24 hours. If you call the Busan MERS Hotline(051-888-3333), you would be consulted.
Dong-A Graduate school student Ji Fei Lin ( Korean Language & Literature, 25) said, "I know MERS well by watching news and articles." She added, "Because of MERS, I am concerned about my health-care and stay inside," "My family really worries about my health so, I always inform them of the MERS state on the line."
The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced a list of available hospitals for people to take medical treatment at ease. The Dong-A University hospital was on the list because it has various medical devices. On the list, there are 251 hospitals all over the country, and in Busan there are 27 hospitals.
Kim Sang-beom, Dong-A University hospital director, said, "There aren't cases of MERS infection or spread in our hospital, We have cutting edge facilities, and forbid people to enter or leave strictly. It is fine to use our hospital."
The MERS symptom is similar to cold, and causes cough, phlegm, headache, nasal discharge and stomachache and so on. MERS is usually infected by saliva and discharge in hospital. You must protect yourself.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare recommends the preventive steps against MERS:
▲ Usually wash your hands by water and soap
▲ Don't touch your eyes, nose and mouth with unclean hands
▲ Hide your mouth when you sneeze
▲ Avoid contact with people who have pulmonary symptom
▲ Use a hospital near your home if you have mild illness