'Wear Masks, Maintain Social Distancing': Safety Protocol for Monkeypox Same as Covid, Says Doc

The approach to tackle monkeypox cases is the same as that of Covid-19, a doctor at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital told News18 on Sunday. With India seeing the fourth case of monkeypox after a 34-year-old man from the national capital with no history of foreign travel testing positive, the government is moving in full steam to curb the spread of the virus.

The patient was admitted two days back with complaints of fever and skin infection and he is currently stable, said Dr Suresh Kumar, LNJP.

“The isolation ward at LNJP has six beds. If necessary, this will be scaled up. Staff in LNJP have been given training on how to handle monkeypox cases since a week back, when the first cases were reported from Kerala,” said Kumar. Staff have been given masks and PPE kits already, he added.

“The protocol for treating monkeypox – in terms of wearing masks and social distancing – is the same as Covid-19. To protect yourself from monkeypox, wear masks and observe social distancing. In case of any suspicious symptoms, report to the doctor immediately,” advised Kumar.

He further explained that people who have travel history are more vulnerable.

“Those who have co morbidity are more vulnerable. It is a self limiting disease with a rate of cure of 99%. Morbidity is just 1%,” he said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a tweet, “Our best team is on the case to prevent the spread and protect Delhiites.”

The WHO had on Saturday declared monkeypox as a global public health emergency of international concern. Monkeypox virus is transmitted from infected animals to humans via indirect or direct contact. Human-to-human transmission can occur through direct contact with infectious skin or lesions, including face-to-face, skin-to-skin, and respiratory droplets.

Globally, over 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported from 75 countries and there have been five deaths so far due to the outbreak. In the WHO South-East Asia Region, besides India, one case has been detected from Thailand.

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