About this topic
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus is also known as MERS or MERS-CoV. It is a viral illness that infects your lungs. You may have a fever, cough, and feel short of breath. It may also affect your kidneys and other organs. Some people are so sick they need to be in an intensive care unit and may need a machine to help them breathe. Other people may have the illness and not have any signs. ‚
Doctors are not sure how you become ill with MERS. It may be passed from person to person through close contact. It may be passed from an animal like a camel or bat to a human. Doctors are still doing testing to learn more about how MERS is spread. ‚
There are no specific drugs to treat the virus. Doctors will give you drugs and other care to treat your signs based on your illness. You may need to be in the hospital if your signs are very bad. ‚
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water, juice, or broth each day to replace fluids lost from a fever.
- You may use cool mist humidifiers to help ease breathing and coughing.
- Use 2 to 3 pillows to prop yourself up when you lie down to make it easier to breathe and sleep.
- Do not smoke and do not drink beer, wine, and mixed drinks (alcohol).
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
- It may take a few weeks before your health returns to normal.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with breathing
- Fight an infection
- Help with swelling in your airways and lungs
- Control coughing
- Ease a sore throat
- Help a runny or stuffy nose
Will physical activity be limited?
You may have to limit your physical activity. Talk to your doctor about the right amount of activity for you. Exercises to help your lungs get stronger will be important. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Fluid loss. This is dehydration.
- Short-term or long-term lung damage
- Death
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 15 seconds, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers also work to kill the virus.
- If traveling, check for alerts on what countries and places are affected by MERS and stay away from those areas.
- Cover your mouth and nose with tissue when you cough or sneeze. You can also cough into your elbow. Throw away tissues in the trash and wash your hands after touching used tissues.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, cough, more sputum or change in color of sputum.
- Breathing is getting worse: Harder or faster than before or you feel like you are getting less air
- Trouble breathing while lying down flat on your back
- You need to lean forward to help you breathe when sitting
- Fingertips, fingernails, skin, or lips are blue
- You are not feeling better in 2 to 3 days or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you what may help ease my breathing.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have trouble breathing or my fingertips, fingernails, skin, or lips are blue.
Where can I learn more?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ‚
http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/MERS/faq.html ‚
World Health Organization ‚
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/coronavirus_infections/faq/en/ ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚