A second expat in Qatar has died of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, three days after a 61-year-old man was reported to have succumbed to the virus.

According to the Supreme Council of Health, the newly deceased was a 48-year-old man with “chronic conditions.” It added in a statement released last night that there were no new confirmed cases of the virus in Qatar.

So far, the SCH has said that three expats have been diagnosed with MERS. Two of them have reportedly recovered from the virus and one of them died on Monday.

Questions

Among those deemed recovered is a 48-year-old expat who the SCH said was discharged from the hospital this week. It is unclear whether the man who died is the one who had been released from HMC, or a new patient whose case was not yet publicly announced. Health officials today offered conflicting reports to Doha News.

Since last September, eight people inside of Qatar have been diagnosed with MERS, and four of those patients have died. A ninth person – a Qatari man who is thought to have gotten MERS during a visit to Saudi Arabia – died of MERS-related complications at a London hospital in July.

Globally, the World Health Organization has confirmed 157 cases of MERS, including 66 deaths.

Doctors are still trying to figure out the origins of the virus, which was first contracted in KSA, and is thought to have come from animals. There is currently no cure for MERS, which presents as respiratory infection, and includes symptoms such as fever, cough and difficulty in breathing. But fluids and certain medication seem to help some patients.

Those with chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart problems seem to be the most vulnerable to MERS.

The SCH has assured residents that it is prepared to handle any outbreaks of the virus. It has also established a hotline for anyone with questions or symptoms: +974-6674 0951.

Thoughts?