The Saudi Health Ministry Thursday announced two more deaths and 12 new confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus infections, Xinhua reported.
That brings the total number of deaths to 85 and infections to 297 since the first diagnosed case was reported in the country in 2012.
Among the new cases, five were in Riyadh, six in Jeddah and one in Mecca. They included five Saudis and seven foreigners, the ministry said in a statement. Five were in intensive care.
Both victims of the deadly virus were Saudis -- a 68-year-old man and a 72-year-old woman.
Yet no vaccine has been found against the virus. The Saudi authorities earlier said that they were working with international pharmaceutical firms to develop one.
