DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 26 April) — There is currently no recommendation for a mandatory wearing of face masks in the city despite the two confirmed monkeypox (mpox) cases this month, an official at the City Health Office (CHO) said Friday. Sofia Corazon Zafra, medical coordinator of the CHO Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases Unit, said the Department of Health has not raised a “red alert” on mpox, although standard minimum health standards should still be observed. “Currently, no mask required for Dabawenyos, there’s no mandate for social distancing, but we do advise for standard minimum precautions like washing of hands,” Zafra said in a press conference. Two patients were admitted earlier this month at the Southern Philippines Medical Center isolation facility for acquiring mpox clade II virus but their identities and other details were not disclosed. Clade II mpox virus, formerly known as the West African clade, was the virus responsible for the global outbreak that began in 2022 in Africa, primarily spreading through close and sexual contact. One of the two patients died, but the DOH reported that the fatality was immunocompromised. Zafra said that like the Covid-19 patients who died, the patient was cremated to prevent the mpox virus from spreading. She said the other mpox patient has fully recovered after several days of monitoring and isolation. She said the ongoing monitoring of the two patients’ close contacts showed that most of them have remained asymptomatic. But Zafra refused to comment when asked about the level of their contact-tracing. The official advised the public to continue following health protocols against mpox, including frequent handwashing with soap. “Most prone are immunocompromised children and pregnant women. Just like all the other communicable diseases, they are the most prone,” she said. Symptoms of mpox include rashes or lesions on parts of the body, fever, loss of appetite, and severe fatigue. The disease is primarily transmitted through close contact. Residents experiencing symptoms are advised to contact the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit at 09495011457 or seek immediate medical consultation. According to the World Health Organization, mpox is a viral zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus, which is transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal, or with contaminated materials. It is characterized by symptoms such as fever, rashes, and swollen lymph nodes, and can lead to a range of medical complications. (Ian Carl Espinosa/MindaNews)
