RoK: man dies, raising MERS-related death to 37

A 66-year-old man in the Republic of Korea (RoK), who was recovering from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) infection, died on October 25, bringing the total death toll linked to the disease in the country to 37.

A 66-year-old man in the Republic of Korea (RoK), who was recovering from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) infection, died on October 25, bringing the total death toll linked to the disease in the country to 37.

 MERS affected RoK's tourism sector

According to the RoK’s health sector, the man was confirmed to contract the virus in mid-June and underwent a lung transplant operation, but his condition did not stabilise even after testing negative for MERS.

Since the first case of MERS infection in the country was confirmed on May 20, a total of 186 people have been found to be infected.

Almost all those who were infected with MERS in the RoK have recovered and left hospital, except for a 35-year-old man who was once cleared of infection but is undergoing treatment again after testing positive earlier in October.

MERS took a heavy toll on the RoK, adversely affecting its tourist sector.