Mother of Jordanian boy, 8, diagnosed with Mers coronavirus dies in Abu Dhabi

The mother of a boy who was diagnosed with the Mers coronavirus on Sunday has died, the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi announced.

The mother of an eight-year-old Jordanian boy diagnosed with the Mers coronavirus (Mers-Cov) in Abu Dhabi has died, the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi (Haad) announced on Monday.

The woman, 32, had been in critical condition and had recently given birth after being hospitalised because of the illness, the World Health Organisation said.

The boy and his father, 38, are stable and they are receiving the required care, Haad said.

Local news agency Wam reported that the boy was found to have Mers-Cov during medical check-ups of family members after his father was recently diagnosed with the same virus.

WHO said on Monday that three laboratory-confirmed cases of infection had been reported to them, all from the same family. The onset of the illness was November 15.

The boy, who had mild respiratory symptoms, is being kept in isolation.

The newborn, close family members and healthcare workers are being monitored.

“They had no travel history, no contact with a known confirmed case and no history of contact with animals,” WHO said in a statement.

The boy was admitted to hospital on Sunday.

WHO also said two people died in Qatar in November after contracting the virus.

WHO has been informed of 163 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection, including 70 deaths.