What is the course of action for those who have monkey pox?
People who have monkey pox should heed their doctor’s instructions. Treatment is usually not necessary because symptoms can usually go away on their own. Analgesics and antipyretics, which are used to treat fever and discomfort, can be used to ease certain symptoms. Anyone suffering with monkeypox should drink enough of fluids, eat healthfully, and get plenty of rest. Self-isolating individuals should take care of their mental health by engaging in activities that they find enjoyable and relaxing, staying in touch with loved ones via technology, engaging in physical activity if they feel well enough to do so while isolating, and seeking support for their mental health if necessary.
Monkeypox patients should refrain from scratching their rash and take care of it by washing their hands before and after handling the lesions and by keeping their skin dry and uncovered (unless they are unavoidably in a room or a closed space with someone else, in which case they need to cover it with a clothing or a bandage until they are able to isolate again). Sterilized water or an antiseptic solution can be used to keep the rash clean. Mouth lesions can be treated with saltwater rinses, while body lesions can be treated with warm Epsom salt and baking soda baths. Pain relief from oral and perianal lesions is possible with lidocaine application.
Products that may be helpful in treating monkeypox have been developed as a result of years of study on smallpox therapies. The European Medicines Agency authorised tecovirimat, an antiviral originally created to treat smallpox, in January 2022 to treat monkeypox. There is minimal experience using these medicines during a monkeypox outbreak. Hence, gathering information to help with future usage is typically done in conjunction with their use.
Where is there now a monkeypox danger in the world?
Monkeypox is presently spreading throughout several nations in regions where the virus has not previously been detected, including Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Western Pacific, and nations in the Eastern Mediterranean. In areas of Africa that have previously recorded occurrences, such as Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic, more cases than usual have been reported in 2022. WHO is collaborating with all impacted nations to improve monitoring, offer advice on how to limit the spread, and provide medical treatment.
Prior to this outbreak, reports of monkeypox were made in a few African nations. These include Gabon, Cameroon, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic. Some of these nations only saw a small number of cases, while others experienced ongoing or recurrent outbreaks. Travel from Nigeria has been connected to rare incidences in other nations. The current outbreak, which is impacting several nations at once, is unlike earlier outbreaks.