What to Know About South Korea's MERS Outbreak

South Korea is facing a possible quarantine due to the MERS virus outbreak, leaving some worried the virus could continue to spread. The virus originated in Saudi Arabia in 2012, coining its name: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. The virus began to spread this year when one South Korean man visited Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain— countries known to have also had the virus. This soon spread to 36 other people, killing four. The virus spreads typical to any other respiratory virus: by coughing and sneezing. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) have ruled the virus to not be too dangerous, and have not banned travel to the country. The virus has spread to places like Britain, France, Germany, and the U.S. before but is usually stopped quickly.

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