“[Saudi Arabia’s] experience with MERS uniquely positioned them because they learned a lot from that….They know it’s MERS season and they’re already cued up for that. The preparation and processes … really cuts down on your exposure right away.”
-Joanna Gaines, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which for years has supplied the Saudi health ministry with its only full-time foreign disease expert. Saudi Arabia took drastic measures early on to contain the new pandemic, and the WHO has said Saudi Arabia’s “whole of government” approach had benefited from the MERS experience and “unique expertise” in emergency preparedness from managing the haj pilgrimage. [reuters.com]
