The World Health Organization says it is closely monitoring the novel coronavirus virus.<\/p>\n
Saudi health authorizes say two new cases of infection with a deadly new respiratory virus related to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) have been found in the country\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s eastern region of al-Ahsa.\n<\/p>\n
Saudi Arabia\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s Ministry of Health announced on Friday that a 58-year-old man confirmed to have contracted the virus. He was treated and discharged from hospital on May 8.\n<\/p>\n
The other patient was a 42-year-old man, who is still under careful treatment at hospital with a stable condition.\n<\/p>\n
Fifteen people in Saudi Arabia have been infected by the coronavirus virus, with 7 deaths.\n<\/p>\n
The novel coronavirus virus, also known as nCoV-EMC, is a cousin of SARS. The virus first emerged in the Middle East, and was discovered on September 2012 in a Qatari man who had recently traveled to Saudi Arabia.\n<\/p>\n
Since September 2012, the World Health Organization has been informed of 30 confirmed cases of the virus, and 18 of the patients have died.\n<\/p>\n
Cases have been reported in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, Britain and Germany, and health officials have said the virus has likely already spread between people in some circumstances.\n<\/p>\n
Health authorities are trying to find out how humans are contracting and spreading the virus and what the best remedy to treat it is.\n<\/p>\n
It does not appear to be as contagious as SARS, which killed some 800 people in a 2003 epidemic.\n<\/p>\n
The novel coronavirus virus is most closely related to a bat virus. Scientists are considering whether bats or other animals like goats or camels are a possible source of infection.\n<\/p>\n
The WHO has advised countries to test any people with unexplained pneumonia.\n<\/p>\n
MP\/HN<\/p>\n<\/div>\n