MERS claims sixth life in South Korea on Monday

Seoul, June 8: The ongoing outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in South Korea has claimed one more life on Monday, putting the total number of deaths at six, media reported.

An 80 year-old man died of MERS while undergoing treatment at a hospital, reported TIME.

The victim was diagnosed with the disease earlier in the day only. 23 new cases of the MERS have also been reported.

A total number of 87 cases of MERS have been reported in South Korea since its outbreak on May 20.
The South Korean government earlier closed thousands of schools and kindergartens in an attempt to mitigate the spread of the virus.

More than 2,300 South Koreans have so far been quarantine either in hospitals or at home. MERS virus spread through close contact with infected people and not through the air.

The first case of MERS was reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. MERS has now infected 1,161 people globally, with 436 deaths. More than 20 countries have been affected, with most cases in Saudi Arabia.

OneIndia News