FILE PHOTO: An aerial view shows Kuwait City after the country entered virtual lockdown, following the outbreak of coronavirus, in Kuwait City, Kuwait March 16, 2020. REUTERS/Stephanie McGehee/File Photo
RIYADH/KUWAIT (Reuters) - The world's last major coronavirus outbreak, in 2012, began in Saudi Arabia, where a faltering response allowed the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) to kill several hundred people and spread across the region.
This time around, the kingdom was better prepared, public health officials say. Their experience of MERS meant hospitals had already established separate triage units for respiratory illnesses, with specialised ventilation to protect medics from infection.
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