Patient wrongly diagnosed with MERS coronavirus in Rawalpindi had viral infection

According to Dr. Tahir Rizvi, medical director of Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH), confirmed a viral infection instead.

Muhammad Ameen, a 55-year-old resident of Kharian, had recently returned from a Middle Eastern country a month before his hospitalization.

MERS-CoV, unlike COVID-19, is a viral respiratory disease that was first identified in 2012 and reported in 27 countries. Dr. Rizvi stated that tests showed no evidence of MERS-CoV in the patient, who has since been discharged after recovering and testing negative.

Due to initial concerns about Ameen's condition, at least 40 family members were tested for the virus. Ameen was admitted to BBH on September 5th, where he spent several days in isolation in the intensive care unit.

While the mortality rate for MERS-CoV is approximately 36%, this number may be elevated due to underreporting of mild cases. Symptoms include fever, cough and difficulty breathing, with severe cases leading to shortness of breath, particularly in people with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes or chronic lung disease.

Laboratory testing of respiratory samples is usually required for diagnosis, but early detection can be difficult due to nonspecific symptoms similar to other respiratory infections. Person-to-person transmission is associated with delays in recognizing symptoms and implementing isolation measures, highlighting the importance of a rapid response to potential cases.