Table II.

A summary of highlights of areas for concern and possible interventions to control Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) infection

Infection control domain	Infection control issues	Suggested interventions
Environmental	Absent physical barriers between beds, inadequate isolation of suspected MERS patients	Establish respiratory triage areas, adequate isolation of suspected patients: contact and airborne
	Lack of isolation and negative pressure rooms	Build capacity to accommodate increasing number of patients with respiratory illness
System	Unfamiliarity and under-recognition of MERS infection	Education and periodic review of MERS case definitions
	Insufficient compliance with infection control measures	Strengthening education, compliance monitoring and feedback
	Aerosol-generating procedures	Include training of HCWs on how to protect themselves during these procedures and to carry them in an airborne infection isolation room
Personal	Presence of multiple friends and family members with patients	Limiting visitors to suspected and confirmed cases until patients are no longer infectious
	‘Medical shopping’	Education of the public on the risk of exposure to multiple medical venues

HCWs, healthcare workers.