Stanford officials are monitoring global health concerns about Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus – commonly referred to as MERS – and in particular its spread in recent months to South Korea.
“Our campus infection control committee is monitoring the situation, and we feel there is no indication at present for a change in our recommendations for travel to Korea or for welcoming guests from Korea,” said Dr. Ira Friedman, director of Vaden Health Center.
While there have been no reports of infection on the Stanford campus or in the broad local community, officials want to make sure that faculty, staff and students who are traveling to or hosting visitors from the affected areas are aware of resources available if they have questions or concerns.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MERS is a viral respiratory illness that is new to humans. It was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and has since spread to several other countries. To date, there have been only two confirmed cases of the disease in the United States and none were related to the outbreak in South Korea.
For more, visit the International Affairs website.
