South Korea MERS Outbreak: Over 2,300 People Quarantined, 1,800 Schools Closed; Death Toll & News Updates Here!

As the MERS outbreak continues in South Korea, more deaths have reportedly surfaced while thousands of people are still being quarantined.

Wall Street Journal wrote that as of June 8, 2015, six people have died while 23 more have been diagnosed with Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in South Korea. Since a South Korean man was diagnosed with the virus after he returned from the Middle East in May 2015, 87 people in all have been confirmed to have MERS. It is reportedly the biggest outbreak ever to occur outside the Middle East. The virus was first documented in Saudi Arabia in 2012.

On June 7, the South Korean government issued the names of 24 hospitals where MERS patients have undergone treatment. There are 14 new infection cases, with 10 located at a large hospital in Seoul. Almost 2,000 people are being quarantined in hospitals and homes and 1,800 schools have been closed to prevent the viral spread, based on a CNN report. According to experts, the virus can only be transmitted via close contact with an infected person. Individuals in South Korea are advised to wash their hands frequently and to cover their mouths when sneezing or coughing. There is currently no medical treatment or vaccine developed for MERS.

MERS is a respiratory disease that originated from the same family of viruses that causes the common cold and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The death rate of MERS is 38 percent, the World Health Organization stated. The Guardian cited that a group of WHO experts will be arriving in Seoul soon to help overcome the MERS outbreak.

"Please understand this is an unavoidable measure for the sake of our neighbours and families. We can absolutely control this because all MERS cases in our country are infections in health facilities, not spreading into communities. We ask for people not to be over-sensitive so as not to dampen economic activities," South Korea Deputy Prime Minister Choi Kyung-hwan said in a Guardian report.

The Deputy Prime Minister added that the South Korean government is doing everything necessary to successfully contain the spread of the disease. They are reportedly at a stage where MERS can be controlled effectively, because all the cases are contained in health facilities, and not spreading throughout communities. The government also stated that it is tracking people who are under quarantine based on their cellphone location. A hotline is in the works for citizens to immediately report hints of MERS spreading.