Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)
MERS is classified as a High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID), and although unlikely is serious and could be imported into the UK at ANY time. Risks are higher when there is increased travel to endemic areas such as Hajj.
Symptoms include fever and cough that progress to a severe pneumonia causing shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In some cases, a diarrheal illness has been the first symptom to appear.
UK Health Security Agency:
Suspected = Isolate & Full PPE
- Trust Guidance
- PPE Notes:
- FFP3 (can’t use hoods)
- Buddy System vital
- Senior Review needed
- Collect relevant information
- Contact Microbiologist immediately (as may de-escalate without tests)
SITE Specifics
HRI:
- Primary site for Pre-alerts
- 1 Patient – goes to Isolation. room
- 2 Patients – second patient goes to Minors 5
- end of corridor and lounge closed off
- 3+ Patients – ALL MERS patients moved to Minors Corridor
- Minors corridor closed
- Minors/UCH moved to uSDEC
- Internal Trust Majax
CRH:
- 1 Patient – goes to “Old Relatives”
- Corridor closed from treatment room to door to ambulance corridor
- Patients moving from majors wait to department will need to go outside to ambulance entrance
- 2 Patients – second patient goes to treatment room to left of reps room
- Corridor closed sure extended to reception
- Patient 1 MUST move out of ED and cubicle cleaned