More than 1,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in 29 non-endemic countries since May, until no deaths were reported, WHO chief Tedros Adanom Gebreesus said earlier this week. “Some countries also report passing on information from the community. The WHO is particularly concerned about the risks of this virus among vulnerable populations, including children and pregnant women. Vaccines are available, but in limited quantities. The WHO does not recommend mass vaccination, “said Tedros, adding that it was unfortunate that the international community was only now paying attention to the virus, even though smallpox had been killing people in Africa for decades.
WHO expert Dr Rosamund Lewis explained in a video shared by the World Health Organization on Saturday why the risk of the virus was said to be “moderate”.
“Most people who become infected with the virus do not get seriously ill. However, the risk is described as moderate, as it spreads in places where it has never been reported before. So this new pattern of distribution is worrying. So the WHO aims to identify where the risk may be, who may be at risk. This is the message we are sending – If you know your own risk, you can reduce the risk, “she said in response to a question.
The World Health Authority has also come up with some guidelines amid fears about the virus. Some of the recommendations are:
1. Considering that most cases are considered mild, the WHO says: “A home assessment should be made when deciding to isolate and care for a suspected or confirmed infection with a mildly uncomplicated illness at home. . “
2. Special care and precautions must be taken when working with cleaning linen, household surfaces and during waste disposal. And the symptoms of mild cases should be constantly monitored.
3. While experts have repeatedly noted discrimination in the spread of the virus, the WHO also states that patients should be monitored for “symptoms of anxiety and depression” for their mental health.
4. All patients should be advised to abstain from sex until “all skin lesions form crusts, crusts fall off and a new layer of skin forms underneath,” the guidelines said.
5. Patients at high risk of complications – such as young children, pregnant women and immunosuppressed – or those with severe or complicated infection should be admitted to hospital for closer monitoring and clinical care with appropriate isolation precautions to prevent the transmission.
6. Newborns from infected mothers must be constantly monitored and “infant feeding practices, including whether to stop breastfeeding for a mother infected with the virus, must be assessed on a case-by-case basis”.
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