Ministry site on coronavirus to guide people

The Ministry of Health yesterday launched a website to keep the public informed of the developments and its preventive methods against the new coronavirus, which has infected 31 people in the Kingdom.
The total number of deaths among the casualties were 15 and the last patient, who was diagnosed positive was also from the Eastern region, according to the ministry’s official announcement.
Health Ministry spokesman Khalid Mirghalani said yesterday that the new portal will be in the ministry’s official website www.moh.gov.sa.
He said the website would give a clear picture of the nature of the disease, its preventive measures, its victims and places of its incidence. It will also provide a page for FAQ, as well as news releases, video links, social networking sites and sites of interests such the World Health Organization (WHO).
He said the ministry had invited experts from Canada, America and the WHO to examine the preventive measures carried out by the government. Health officials visited several hospitals in the Eastern Province and were satisfied by the manner in which the disease is being handled in the Kingdom.
Besides the website, Mirghalani said people can also call the toll-free number 8002494444 or visit social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter to get an update about the disease.
“We will maintain the policy of transparency in all matters related to the disease,” Mirghalani added.
The National Scientific Committee for Contagious Diseases and the National Scientific Committee for Infection Control reviewed the current status of the virus in the Kingdom on Friday. The committees confirmed that the infected cases were limited, and the preventive measures taken by the ministry to control the spread of this virus in line with the scientific and global standards. The committees also noted that the number of cases recorded in Al-Ahsa is under control.
The transmission of this virus and its source are still unknown, and there is no vaccine for it. However, efforts are being made to obtain more information about this virus at all scientific levels.
The participants have further pointed out that all health sectors work together to ensure the health and safety of citizens and residents following the guidelines issued by the ministry, the National Scientific Committee for Contagious Diseases and the National Scientific Committee for Infection Control.
The committees also underscored the MoH’s recommendations of following the general guidelines of personal hygiene, especially when coughing and sneezing, washing hands and avoiding direct contact with the infected and suspected cases.