Thousands of Argentines had the opportunity to travel to Qatar to see the Argentine team consecrate itself as World Championand in the next few hours they will return to the country. In this context, the Ministry of Health of the Nation issued a series of recommendations to take into account for travel.
Recommendations for those returning from Qatar
Those who have traveled to Qatar, or to other countries in the Middle East, and within the following three weeks present fever and rash or fever and cough or shortness of breathThey should take the following measures:
- Put on a chinstrap
- Immediately consult a doctor or health service and refer the travel history.
- Strictly follow the instructions of the health team.
- While you are experiencing symptoms, do not go to work, educational activities or public places and follow medical instructions.
Spread of deadly ‘camel virus’ in Qatar alarms epidemiologists
“In the presence of symptoms, it is important to carry out early consultation so that health personnel can evaluate the clinical picture and the epidemiological risk of diseases such as measles, poliomyelitis or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome,” details Health, which adds that this it is essential to implement the corresponding diagnostic, treatment and epidemiological control actions to minimize the risk of introducing these diseases into the country.
The diseases for which the Ministry of Health warns when returning from Qatar
Measles
Qatar belongs to the Eastern Mediterranean Region of the World Health Organization (WHO), which reported in 2021 a total of 23,840 confirmed cases of measlestwice more than the previous year, details the Ministry of Health.
Eighteen of the 21 countries in that region currently have endemic circulation of measles, including Qatar. Countries from other regions participating in the World Cup, also reported outbreaks of measles. A similar situation occurs with the rubella virus.
“Argentina certified the elimination of endemic circulation of measles and since the year 2000 no autochthonous cases have been recorded. However, given the high circulation of the virus in other regions, imported cases were reported, as happened after the World Cup in South Africa in 2010,” Salud warns.
Poliomyelitis
“The low vaccination coverage in the Region of the Americas and the large number of travelers in the context of a massive event such as the one mentioned constitute an increased risk of reintroduction of measles, rubella, and polio in the country and in the Region”, indicates the official information.
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV or “camel virus”)
Qatar is one of the countries that has reported cases of this disease. It is a potentially serious zoonotic condition caused by the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), also known as “camel virus”.
Typical MERS symptoms range from mild cases to severe acute respiratory illness. The most characteristic signs are fever, cough, and respiratory distress. Also, pneumonia is a common presentation.
Hugo Pizzi: “The camel virus has a mortality rate of between 20 and 30 percent”
It is “camel virus” is transmitted from animals to peoples and has been detected in camels and has been linked to human infections in several Member States in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. However, person-to-person transmission is possible and has taken place predominantly among direct contacts and in health care settings.
The largest outbreaks have occurred in health facilities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Korea. Outside of health care settings, sustained person-to-person transmission has not been documented anywhere in the world.
As reported by the Pan American Health Organization, to date the WHO did not report that there have been any confirmed human cases of MERS in Qatar, being that in fact they alert about the existence of a variety of false rumors. Additionally, it considers that, given the global situation and the current recommendations, there are no specific instructions for travelers returning from Qatar under the International Health Regulations.
The most recent report of MERS at a global level reported Four confirmed human cases that have occurred in Saudi Arabia between December 2021 and October 2022.
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