WHO: MERS virus in South Korea is being monitored

SEOUL, June 10 (UPI) -- The World Health Organization said the MERS virus in South Korea is being monitored and urged Seoul to reopen 2,400 schools closed Wednesday.

The U.N. health organization said "strong consideration should be given to reopening schools" because they are not sites of MERS coronavirus transmissions, Bloomberg reported.

A joint team of WHO and South Korea inspectors visited affected hospitals on Wednesday, including Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, to determine the cause of MERS transmissions and infections, Yonhap reported.

The U.N. body is expected to issue a final report on the findings on June 13.

South Korea has witnessed the quick spread of the virus at treatment centers where MERS patients were hospitalized. On Wednesday, 108 MERS cases were confirmed and nine have died from the virus. More than 3,400 people have been quarantined, either in hospitals or at home.

Korea has witnessed the largest number of cases after Saudi Arabia. According to Dr. Peter Ben Embarek, leader of the WHO's MERS team, 1,190 cases of MERS have been confirmed and 444 people have died since September 2012 from infections, reported South Korean news network YTN.

The WHO said infections in the community, or outside hospitals, are unlikely. South Korea said all confirmed patients are being tracked, and confirmed cases occurred because of a connection to initial patients.

Embarek said there are no major difference between MERS cases in South Korea and Saudi Arabia, and it is not likely the virus has mutated in South Korea.

The U.N. body also said travel restrictions are not necessary. Hong Kong had recently issued an alert, or a warning against nonessential travel to South Korea. The WHO said such measures are not needed but said the move is "understandable" given Hong Kong's past experience with the SARS epidemic.

South Korean Finance Minister Choi Kyung-hwan said in a televised announcement that everyday activities should not be discontinued, as the MERS virus is not an airborne disease.