UAE doctors clarify people 'most at-risk' of 2019-nCoV

Following the UAE’s confirmation of the second case of novel conavirus in the country Saturday, health practitioners in the UAE reminded the public to keep calm as the UAE’s health sector implements strong preventive measures and strategies.
On February 1, the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) announced that the patient is stable and under medical care. He arrived from the Chinese city of Wuhan.
READ MORE: UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention announces new case of coronavirus infection
Since the outbreak of the disease in Wuhan, the ground zero of the outbreak in China, only five cases have so far been detected in the UAE, MoHAP clarified.
Meanwhile, in an interview with The Filipino Times, health practitioners in the UAE emphasized that there’s no specific age group of people who can contract the virus as opposed to some unverified reports proliferating online.
They reminded that the extreme ages, very young and elderly, must be taken care of as they could be vulnerable. But the public in general must never let their guards down.
Dr. Rand Al Hayali, General Practitioner at Emergency Department of Medcare Hospital Al Safa, told TFT that the complete clinical picture is still not fully clear.
“In some countries, reported cases show little to asymptomatic or no symptoms to people being severely ill,” she said.
Al Hayali maintained that, “The risk is still based on epidemiological contact with people who have a travel history in Wuhan, as well as in China’s neighboring places with confirmed cases of coronavirus.”

According to MoHAP’s health guidelines released on Saturday, the new stain of coronavirus can be spread by human-to-human transmission; as with the case of a Japanese male bus driver, 60, who contracted the virus from a group of tourists who originated from Wuhan.
The symptoms range from mild to severe fever, cough, shortness of breath, headache and a general feeling of being unwel. A person experiencing these signs must seek medical consultation immediately.
Dr. Hany Fat’hy Ahmed, Specialist Emergency Medicine, told TFT: “The risk of contracting the virus for those who have direct contact with a person with travel history to Wuhan could be exacerbated by “chronic” conditions like diabetes and respiratory diseases.”

He added, “People with underlying illnesses like pre-existing kidney failure and suppressed immune systems may be also at a higher risk, but every member of the public should take charge of their on health as prevention including proper hygiene remains our strongest line of defense in any kind of infection not just coronavirus.”