Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) | August 25, 2015
Read the PublicationIn May 2013, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan warned that a novel coronavirus, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), posed “a threat to the entire world.” Her warning was prescient. As of June 12, 2015, WHO had been notified of 1289 individuals with laboratory-confirmed infections in 25 countries, of whom at least 455 individuals (37%) had died. More than 85% of cases have been diagnosed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.