JEDDAH: Abdulaziz bin Saeed, undersecretary for public health and head of the Command and Control Center at the Ministry of Health, was surprised to find that the report he published on the relationship of camels to the coronavirus generated insults and indecent responses on social media, a local newspaper reported.

With the Ministry of Health making all efforts to reduce the increasing incidence of the disease through raising awareness on the seriousness of coming into contact with camels, Saeed wrote on his Twitter account, saying: “The coronavirus will not be controlled unless we prevent the initial cases originating from camels.” Soon enough, his tweet was met with severe criticism and personal insults expressing varying opinions from those who rejected the relationship between camels and the virus. The official remained silent in the face of the criticism, but a number of doctors responded on his behalf, saying they regretted the ignorance of the public about the results of the new research.

The Ministry of Health reaffirmed that all studies on the virus proved the epidemiological relationship between the disease and camels and that the vast majority of the examined camels actually have antibodies against the virus in their bodies. This does not mean all camels will transmit the virus to humans, but rather they carry the live virus in their respiratory discharges, which can cause infections among people on contact. This is particularly so with young camels.

The Ministry stressed the importance of intensifying the awareness programs for camel owners and breeders to take extra precautionary measures.