MERS Treatment Reduces Mortality Rate

A coronavirus study focused on the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) published by the NEJM on October 7, 2020, found a combination of recombinant interferon beta-1b and lopinavir–ritonavir led to lower mortality than placebo among patients who had been hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed MERS. The effect was greatest when treatment was started within 7-days after symptom onset.

As of September 1, 2020, the ECDC reported (61) MERS-CoV cases have been reported in Saudi Arabia (57), United Arab Emirates (2), and Qatar (1), including 20 fatalities in Saudi Arabia. From these cases, 50 were primary cases, 16 of whom reported contact with camels, and 11 were healthcare-acquired cases.