Korean officials declare a 'de facto end' to MERS

Korea may finally see an end of the scare from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which has not taken a life since July 4.

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Ever since its outbreak back in May, the MERS virus was the cause of much fear and distress among the Korean public, breaking their spirits and disturbing the general ebb and flow of everyday life.

The virus even infected the Korean economy which saw a dampening in its growth after a decline in consumption due to buyers' uneasiness that they may catch the deadly the virus while out shopping. The country's tourism sector was also impacted since outsiders were afraid to risk visiting Korea after the initial spread of MERS.

However, people both inside and outside of Korea may no longer need to worry as much over MERS, as the country hasn't experienced a new infection or death from the virus in over three weeks. According to Prime Minister Hwang Kyo Ahn, "After a comprehensive assessment of the situation, health and government officials judged that the citizens can now feel safe."

While World Health Organization was said to have affirmed the dwindling presence of the virus thanks to various preventive measures, it has yet to announce the official quenching of MERS, requiring a consecutive 28 days to pass without any infections before they declare the complete extinction of the virus. Further, the preventive measures will continue to be carried out until MERS is wiped out.