LAHORE: In the last 24 hours, two new monkeypox cases have emerged in Lahore. The patients in whom Monkeypox was confirmed were under treatment at the Mayo hospital.
The patients who have tested positive for monkeypox are a 45-year old man and a 40-year-old woman. It has been confirmed by the hospital that the patients have no travel history.
The patients have been placed in isolation by the hospital administration. The patients will be receiving full attention from the hospital in the isolation ward.
What is the Monkeypox virus?
Monkeypox gained a lot of attention after being recently labelled a virulent global threat. The disease is a virus that was first discovered in laboratory monkeys.
Although it is mostly found in humans, it is easily transmissible through close contact. The virus also belongs to the smallpox family but is less virulent.
Initial symptoms involve a headache, fever, body aches, and fatigue. The following few days after this, a rash with spots will present on the body, and these spots turn to blister after a few days.
Monkey pox spreads through direct contact with an infected individual’s skin, fluids or an infected object. Anyone in a close-quarter living situation is at an increased transmission risk.
It also does not spread through the air as easily as a common flu virus, but caution is still very important. Though an individual can get the disease and recover on their own in a few days without treatment, there is still a large risk for children and immunocompromised individuals to get the disease.
Having public awareness is key to managing public health outbreaks. Being able to identify a health issue in its early stages is vital to stopping the spread of the disease.
Advice on isolating the sick and infected is always recommended. Smallpox vaccines and treatments have also been shown to work on monkeypox.
Many countries’ health authorities and governments are watching the disease closely. The risk of becoming infected can be lowered with basic and simple health and hygiene actions.
Keeping your hands clean and washed is a health and hygiene action. Close contacts and relationships with infected people should be avoided as well.
More studies and research are required to better understand this disease.
