Antiviral Treatment Guidelines for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome.
Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is an acute infectious disease of the respiratory system caused by the new betacoronavirus (MERS coronavirus, MERS-CoV), which shows high mortality rates. The typical symptoms of MERS are fever, cough, and shortness of breath, and it is often accompanied by pneumonia. The MERS-CoV was introduced to Republic of Korea in May 2015 by a patient returning from Saudi Arabia. The disease spread mostly through hospital infections, and by the time the epidemic ended in August, the total number of confirmed diagnoses was 186, among which 36 patients died. Reflecting the latest evidence for antiviral drugs in the treatment of MERS-CoV infection and the experiences of treating MERS patients in Republic of Korea, these guidelines focus on antiviral drugs to achieve effective treatment of MERS-CoV infections.
Department of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Yong Pil
YP
Chong
Department of Infectious Diseases, Guro Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Joon Young
JY
Song
Department of Infectious Diseases, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Yu Bin
YB
Seo
Department of Infectious Diseases, Seoul Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
Jae-Phil
JP
Choi
Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
Hyoung-Shik
HS
Shin
Antiviral; Coronavirus; MERS; Treatment