FOR MANY months in 2012 and 2013, Saudi Arabia reassured the world that it was paying close attention to the outbreak of a novel coronavirus in the kingdom, known as Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS. But events this year have begun to pull back the curtain on a disease outbreak that was — and remains — dangerous and not fully explained or explored. This is more than just an accident, and the Saudi authorities are finally waking up to the full extent of the lapses, just in time for the pilgrimages that are expected to bring millions to Mecca and Medina in the months ahead. There is no known antiviral or vaccine for the MERS virus. So far it does not appear to transmit rapidly among humans in a way that could create a pandemic, although some transmission has occurred among those in close contact. It has infected […]