Monkeypox: Know about safety and precaution

Soon after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared it to be a public health emergency, countries which are seeing a rise in the number of cases are on high alert.

Monkeypox is a transmissible disease which passes the disease causing virus, the monkeypox virus, from one individual to individual through direct contact.

Though it is a self limiting disease, the rate of transmission, if not checked at the right time, can affect many at a time and huge numbers of cases can crash the hospital systems of countries.

Hence it is important to be well informed about monkeypox disease. Here's what your doctor would like you to know about the disease so that the spread of this infection is stopped.

Masks have become an important part of our lives ever since the pandemic happened. But it is seen that people stop wearing them when COVID cases are low or when the government eases anti-COVID rules. However, doctors suggest that masks and gloves should be worn always.

These are the primary protectors of the body and safeguard it from all sorts of viral attacks.

The easiest way to stop contracting the infection is by not letting it come near you. The whole idea behind the COVID lockdown was to isolate people so that the chances of COVID transmission is cut down. It proved effective too!

Monkeypox is also a transmissible disease. Doctors advise people to immediately start self-isolation once the symptoms are seen. The time when the body develops lesions till the time when the lesions fall off and the skin comes back to its normal active form is the most contagious period of the infection.

It is very important to remain informed about the infection. The symptoms of the infection are similar to those of the common cold. Hence it is very difficult to ascertain if it is a monkeypox infection or not in the initial stages; in many cases only after lesions start forming people go to a doctor.

The risk of spreading and contracting monkeypox can be averted to a great extent if people take necessary precautions during the initial days of the symptoms:

Fever

Sore throat

Nasal congestion

Chills

Swollen lymph nodes

Exhaustion

Muscle aches and backache

Headache

Cough

There can be exceptions too

The US Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) says that there can be cases where people get rashes after a few days of flu-like symptoms, or there can be cases when people get a rash first and then other symptoms are seen. It also says that there are cases where people can only experience a rash and have no other symptoms.

Doctors always advise not to jump on to self-treatment when you see any symptoms. It is always recommended to contact a doctor when you see the symptoms and get yourself tested for monkeypox. While this might help you in identifying the infection quickly, it will also stop the spread of the infection.

With timely medical intervention you are not just protecting yourself, you are saving others from getting this infection.

Monkeypox lesions are extremely painful and itchy. The lesions are also highly contagious as these contain huge loads of the virus than the throat and nasal fluids, research studies have said.

Doctors have recommended applying medications, only after verifying it from them. Prescribed medications will soothe the itching and pain and will stop the patient from scratching and popping it.

Source:TOI