World Cup fans given Camel warning in Qatar due to bug ‘deadlier than Covid’
World Cup fans have been warned to stay away from camels when they reach Qatar to avoid catching a bug deadlier than Covid.
Covid caused worldwide havoc when it reared its head in 2020, resulting in millions of deaths across the globe. And things in the Western world only returned to normality earlier this year following a successful vaccine rollout.
But now fans face catching a bug which is even deadlier than Covid when they head to Qatar to watch the World Cup. That's due to a rampant disease labelled MERS-CoV that's running rife in the Middle Eastern region, The Sun revealed.
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The publication claims camels were infected with the killer disease, that can be passed to humans, by bats in nearby Saudi Arabia. But there's no vaccine to fight against camel flu at this stage if a person gets it.
The high-risk factor has prompted a stern warning from a university professor, who urged fans to keep their distance from the dromedaries. Prof Paul Hunter, of the University of East Anglia, said: “Fans should steer clear of camels in Qatar.
“That’s the common sense advice to reduce the risk of contracting the virus. It’s a nasty bug, much deadlier than Covid-19 with a very high mortality rate, and there is currently no effective vaccine.”
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However, the Qatar government doesn't seem to be taking the threat serious as The Sun also reported that Camels were spotted roaming freely near the England squad's Souq Al Wakra Hotel base in Doha. Plus, camel rides are still being advised by travel groups although there's a risk of death.
The lack of caution exerted by officials is shocking seeing as 80% of cases have come as a result of contact with infected camels, or from people infected in hospitals. Although the the spread of camel flu in hospitals and care homes has been limited via direct human contact, according to government guidelines.
But Qatar officials declined to comment on the matter, as did the FA who have yet to respond to queries made by the tabloid. There's already been two deaths recorded due to the disease this year.
One fatality was a camel farmer, aged 50, while the other tragedy involved a 85-year-old camel owner, who consumed milk from the animal. The camel flu saga is the latest in a long line of issues to plague the upcoming tournament where some fans won't be able to watch games live from their hotels.
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