Monkeypox: The world is once again facing the threat of a pandemic. The World Health Organization has declared monkeypox a global emergency. This decision has been taken after the spread of this disease in Congo and other parts of Africa. Along with this, it has also been said that immediate steps should be taken to stop the spread of the virus. Meanwhile, the first case of a new form of monkeypox has been found in a passenger from Sweden. Such a case was seen only in Africa till now. There is a possibility of monkeypox cases increasing in other European countries as well. Meanwhile, precautions are being taken in India as well. The central government has increased surveillance at all international airports. Instructions have also been issued for the states. PM Modi’s Principal Secretary has also held an important meeting regarding this.
Center asked to be alert
The Union Health Ministry has asked officials of all airports as well as land ports located near the borders of Bangladesh and Pakistan to be cautious about international passengers due to ‘monkeypox’. The ministry has marked three centrally run hospitals in the national capital (Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital and Lady Harding Hospital) as nodal centers for isolation, management and treatment of any patient suffering from monkeypox. Sources said that all state governments have been asked to identify such marked hospitals in their area. At the same time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Principal Secretary PK Mishra chaired a high-level meeting on Sunday. In this, the country’s preparations regarding monkeypox were reviewed amid increased surveillance for quick identification.
There is no case in the country right now
In the meeting of PM Modi’s Principal Secretary, it was informed that no case of ampox has been reported in the country so far. Dr Mishra directed that surveillance be increased and effective measures be taken for early detection of cases. He said that a network of testing laboratories should be prepared. Right now 32 laboratories are ready for testing. As per the current assessment, the risk of a large outbreak is low. The Health Secretary informed that a meeting of experts was convened by the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) on August 12 to assess the risk to India. The Communicable Disease (CD) alert on ampox issued earlier by NCDC is being updated. Health teams have been deployed at international airports, ports of entry.
How monkeypox spreads
It is worth noting that earlier WHO had declared swine flu and Covid 19 as pandemics. Both these diseases spread through air. However, some people do not even show their symptoms. On the other hand, ampox infection occurs due to prolonged and close contact with an infected patient. It mainly occurs through sexual route, direct contact with the patient’s body, wound fluid or contaminated clothes of an infected person.
How to avoid
In the meeting, officials said that monkeypox infection is usually self-limited within 2-4 weeks. Patients with monkeypox usually recover with supportive medical care and management. The best way to avoid monkeypox is to avoid coming in contact with an infected person. Also, do not use such person’s clothes, utensils, bedsheets, towels etc. Stay clean and keep washing hands regularly.
How different from COVID-19?
The infection of Covid 19 or Corona virus spread very fast. With the identification of the virus in China, the number of cases reached thousands in no time. In just one week, ten times more cases had been reported. In March 2020, WHO declared it a pandemic. Within three months of the first case, there were 126,000 infections and 4,600 deaths. In comparison, the pace of monkeypox is very slow. According to WHO, since 2022, 100,000 cases of infection have been reported worldwide. At the same time, about 200 people have died.
How soon can the rein be applied
It is not completely clear yet. In 2022, monkeypox spread in 70 countries and slowed down in a few months. Then some rich countries stopped it by running medicines and vaccination programs. As of now, most cases of monkeypox are in Africa. Of these, 96 percent are in Congo, where deaths have also occurred. The health system in this very poor country is already ruined due to starvation, cholera and measles. Four million vaccines have been demanded in Congo, but not even one has been received yet.