Saudi professor sacked for reporting SARS to WHO

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2013/mar/15/coronavirus-victim-widow-scientists-treatment

Quote

Khalid, a travel agent living in Rotherham, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in November. Doctors gave him a 20% chance of survival, and he had moved to Birmingham in order to be closer to Queen Elizabeth hospital, where he began chemotherapy in January.

"The cancer was complicated, it was right behind the eyes and nose," Azima said. "So doctors said he needed chemotherapy, to make the tumour smaller, before they could operate.

"His father went back to Pakistan to tell the family about Khalid's cancer, and decided to come back via Mecca, to pray for his recovery. It was weird, no one could have expected what happened."

Abid developed flu-like symptoms and a cough immediately on his return to the UK, and was admitted to Queen Elizabeth hospital on 7 February – where Khalid was having a course of chemotherapy that day – and was later transferred to Manchester for specialist care.

By Sunday 10 February, Khalid was displaying the same symptoms and 10 days later he was dead. His official cause of death is recorded as coronavirus.

Doctors believe Abid transmitted the disease to his son in the first few days after arriving back from Mecca. Abid's sister Zaida was also confirmed to have the virus, but because she had a healthy immune system, she quickly recovered.

The coronavirus was first identified by a doctor in Saudi Arabia, who alerted the international authorities and was subsequently forced to leave the country after being sacked, the Guardian can reveal.

Prof Ali Mohamed Zaki isolated the virus from a patient who died in hospital last June. He angered the Saudi health ministry when he sent the virus out of the country for identification and alerted international researchers to the threat. "They sent a team to the hospital to investigate me, to blame me and threaten me. They forced the hospital to terminate my contract," Zaki said. "I was obliged to leave my work because of this, but it was my duty. This is a serious virus."

Azima said she was shocked to hear about how Zaki was treated. "If what he did could have helped identify the virus quicker, then I don't think the Saudis should have done that. I don't want anyone else to have to go through what my family has."

Welcome

Donations

Recent Posts

Do humans have needed kno...

New Britain

What music are you listen...

Qur'anic studies today

Is Iran/Persia going to b...

Lights on the way

اضواء على الطريق ....... ...

Random Islamic History Po...

ركن المتحدثين هايد بارك ل...

What's happened to the fo...

Excellence and uniqueness

Marcion and the introduct...

Theme Changer

Topic: Saudi professor sacked for reporting SARS to WHO

moi

OP - March 16, 2013, 02:44 PM

Basic Information

General Resources

CEMB Organisation