46~50)
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, also known as
MERS, is a new respiratory disease caused by the MERScoronavirus,
which is identified as a SARS-like virus. It
seriously damages our respiratory system and results in
respiratory illness. Research has shown that MERS patients
may develop various symptoms. The most common
symptoms of all are fever, cough and shortness of breath.
Other symptoms include myalgia, diarrhea and vomiting. In
addition, this disease is particularly deadly to older adults
with pre-existing health problems.
The first confirmed case of MERS was identified in
Saudi Arabia in June 2012. On May 20, 2015, South Korea
also confirmed its first case. Ever since then, the MERS
outbreak has been spreading through South Korea and
many South Koreans have been infected. All the infected
patients were isolated in separate facilities in hospitals. In
addition, because MERS is contagious, thousands of people
who were into contact with infected patients were placed
under quarantine and received medical tests. As of June
2015, there have been more than 120 infected patients and
14 deaths.
The MERS outbreak has a great impact on many
domestic and international activities. For example,
President Park Geun-hye of South Korea decided to
reschedule her planned visit to the United States in order to
guide their country to fight MERS and alleviate the public
fear over this disease. Thousands of schools in South Korea
were also temporarily shut down in order to contain the
spread. Because the majority of the confirmed cases were
linked to hospitals, many people were worried about going
to hospitals. Several hospitals were closed down, with all
medical staff, patients and visitors being quarantined until
they were medically cleared. Several countries have even
issued an alert against travel to South Korea during the
MERS outbreak, which has considerably hurt South Korea’s
economy.
As of June 2015, there is no cure for MERS. Medical
experts do not understand the source and transmission of
the MERS virus clearly enough. Nevertheless, experts and
doctors recommend that people enhance their personal
hygiene and prevent the spread of viruses and germs by
means of three preventive measures: using face masks,
washing hands and gargling. They are the first line of
defense against the disease. It is hoped that raising the
hygiene awareness of the public can help reduce the
number of MERS patients and put the disease under
control. 【題組】50. What does they in paragraph 4 refer to?
(A)Experts and doctors (B)Viruses and germs
(C)Preventive measures (D)Personal hygiene
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