Qatar Safety Organization

2 October, 2012

A new “SARS-like” virus has been detected in the UK, according to widespread media reports.

The headlines are based on press releases from the UK’s Health Protection Agency (HPA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) about a new coronavirus.

SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) is a serious and potentially life-threatening viral infection that mostly affects the lungs. SARS is caused by a family of viruses known as coronaviruses. These types of virus can vary widely in their severity. Some types of coronaviruses can just trigger the symptoms of a common cold. Others can be life threatening.

There was a large outbreak of cases (pandemic) of SARS that occurred during 2002 and 2003, with most cases being confined to east Asia.

The HPA has confirmed the diagnosis of a severe respiratory illness associated with a new type of coronavirus in one man from Qatar, in the Middle East, who is receiving intensive care treatment in an NHS London hospital.

The man had travelled to Saudi Arabia and has had the infection diagnosed after travelling to London. The HPA reports that this human coronavirus was also identified in a patient with acute respiratory illness in Saudi Arabia, who has since died. The HPA says that preliminary enquiries have revealed no evidence of illness among people who have had contact with these two cases, including any healthcare workers.

The HPA says it is aware of a small number of cases of serious respiratory illness in the Middle East in the past three months, which it is investigating further. The HPA reports no evidence at present of a link to suggest these illnesses were caused by the same virus or indeed linked to the two confirmed cases. No other confirmed cases have been identified to date in the UK.

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