Its progress in Spain follows and the Carlos III Health Institute has just announced 30 positive cases confirmed by PCR. All in the Community of Madrid. In addition, there are more than twenty suspected cases that are being analyzed in the Canary Islands, Andalusia, Castilla La Mancha and .
And as events are taking place, scientists do not believe that these data are the end of this outbreak that seems more worrying every moment, due to its expansion.
Specific, Maria Jose Sierrathe second on board of the (CCAES) of the Ministry of Health, stated in Murcia “she has no doubt that, if they have not yet appeared, sooner or later more infections will appear in other communities.”
Also Maria Van Kerkhovewho heads the unit for emerging diseases and zoonoses in the Health Emergencies Program at the , said it is important that sexual health clinics and other health care providers such as general practitioners, dermatologists… are aware of the possibility that come across cases of monkeypox so they can take the proper precautions and react as quickly as possible.
tom inglesbydirector of the Center for Health Security at the , just said that “this is starting with a lot more presence, in a much more distributed way, and we still don’t understand how we’re getting here.”
And what all the scientists consulted agree on is that the “most important thing is to stop it as soon as possible, and that the story of neglect of SARS-CoV-2 is not repeated.”
Calm down, but watch out
Science at the moment says that it is calm, but at the same time it has its eyes on the monkey virus.
They are calm because it is a very rare. And also those over 50, as he tells this portal Fernando Moraga-Llopvice president of the , are protected.
-
“All people older than 50 years can be almost absolutely certain that they were vaccinated against smallpox in their time, and this offers them a significant degree of protection against this virus.”
And that would be the reason why most of those infected are young.
But despite everything, the situation has put them on alert and they are very focused on studying the virus and analyzing its evolution.
Protocol of the Ministry of Health
He Ministry of Health and the Autonomous Communities have drawn up a protocol to which they have had access, the objective of which is to “immediately adopt the appropriate control measures to avoid the appearance of secondary cases”.
And that is why it gives some behavior guidelines that can help stop the spread of the disease.
The document begins by explaining that if you suspect you have the disease, you must contact the emergency services, who will perform a PCR test to confirm the infection.
Who are suspects?
It establishes that the suspected cases are those who present a vesicular exanthema (skin rash) without an explicable cause and especially if they meet some of these conditions:
- epidemiological link with a confirmed or investigational case.
-
A man who has relationships with men risky sexual practices.
-
travel story to West or Central Africa in the 21 days prior to the onset of symptoms.
It is important to make it clear that the monkey virus (Monkeypox) is not a sexually transmitted disease nor is it transmitted only between men.
And according to the document, the sources of contagion are through bodily fluids, respiratory tracts or through shared items.
How a person infected with Monkeypox should act
The document states that both patients infected with monkeypox and those suspected of having monkeypox, or monkeypox, must follow a series of guidelines:
- Isolation. Remain “in a room or area separated from other cohabitants until all lesions have disappeared, especially if people have extensive lesions or with secretions or respiratory symptoms.” You should also “avoid physical contact and sexual intercourse.”
- Face mask. The use of surgical masks is recommended, “especially in those who present respiratory symptoms.”
-
In case of having to leave the home to receive health care, “a mask will be worn at all times and the public transport”.
-
“Avoid contact with wild or domestic animals, so they must be excluded from the patient’s environment.”
I am a close contact: what should I do?
People who have had contact with someone infected with monkeypox since the onset of the fever do not need to quarantine, although they should reduce social interactions as much as possible and constantly use the .
Skin lesions affect, above all, the face, palms of the hands, soles of the feet, oral and genital mucosa
“All high and low risk contacts will be informed about the symptoms and will be instructed to self-monitor their temperature twice a day for 21 days after exposure ”, says the protocol of the Ministry of Health.
In the case of presenting any symptoms compatible with the disease, they must do home isolation.
How to interact with infected?
Regarding clothing, as well as bedding and towels, they must be disinfected in the washing machine with hot water, at more than 60 degrees Celsius, and detergent. From the department led by Carolina Darias they warn that it is not necessary to add bleach. “Care should be taken when handling dirty laundry to avoid direct contact with contaminated material”.
Currently there are only two vaccines against smallpox and none of them is in Spain
Dishes and other kitchen utensils “should be washed in a dishwasher or by hand with very hot water and soap.”
The…