Football fans could be bringing ‘camel flu’ home with them from the World Cup, according to some UK doctors.
With England crashing out of Qatar 2022, following a 2-1 defeat against France at the quarter-final stage, Three Lions supporters have begun to make their way home. And they could be bringing more back with them than just heartache and despair, reports football.london.
Medical professionals have been warned of a potential outbreak of a virus that is a close relative of Covid-19, the symptoms of which are a fever, a cough, difficulty in breathing and diarrhoea and vomiting. The illness can be picked up from camels and passed from person to person via droplets.
The virus could potentially enter the UK, with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) having already warned physicians. According to The Sun, the UKHSA sent out a briefing note which said: “Clinicians and public health teams should specifically be alert to the possibility of MERS in returning travellers from the World Cup.
“The risk of infection to UK residents is very low, but may be higher in those with exposure to specific risk factors within the region – such as to camels. Clinicians and public health teams should specifically be alert to the possibility of MERS in returning travellers from the World Cup.”
There were just 2,600 cases reported between April 2012 and October 2022 in 12 Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries. The NHS say you should call a GP or NHS 111 if you have symptoms and believe you could have caught the infection – for instance, if you have recently been to the Middle East or have been in contact with someone with a confirmed infection.
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