Amid a global health emergency alert from the World Health Organisation (WHO) over rising monkeypox cases and India registering four confirmed cases, several states have issued guidelines on how to tackle the situation. This comes after a 34-year-old man with no travel history tested positive for the virus in Delhi on Sunday. Three other cases were reported from Kerala earlier.
Also Read: Monkeypox: WHO Declares Public Health Emergency As Cases Cross 16,000
Uttar Pradesh has reported one suspected case of monkeypox from the Auraiya district. While the samples have been sent to King George's Medical University in Lucknow for tests, the patient had fever and symptoms similar to monkeypox last week. According to a report in the Livemint, the district administration is in touch with WHO officials and are working with them to contain the situation. Several other states like Kerala and Delhi have issued guidelines. Here's a look at what they say:
What steps have states taken to tackle the situation?
Kerala: The Kerala government has stepped up the testing and tracing of cases in the state. The Kerala health ministry has said that all the primary contacts of the three infected people have tested negative and the condition of the patients is said to be stable.
According to Kerala government guidelines, anyone who recently visited a country with monkeypox cases should consider themselves infected by the virus if they have red spots, fever, headache or body ache. People who show symptoms like these will be isolated and treated separately. The District Surveillance Officer (DSO) needs to be informed immediately if a person is found to show symptoms. Health professionals are required to wear PPE kits, N95 masks, gloves and goggles while ferrying patients to or from a hospital to another facility. Patients need to wear an N95 or triple-layered mask and must cover all open wounds.
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The health department in a statement said that all international airports in the state should have thermal scanners and a medical team to check the incoming passengers for any symptoms like fever or red spots.
Delhi: All health facilities in the national capital have been directed by the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) to report to it any suspected case of the monkeypox virus. The health facilities have been asked to inform the District Surveillance Unit if such a case is detected or suspected. An isolation ward at the Lok Nayak Hospital has been set up and reserved for monkeypox cases.
"The first case of Monkeypox was detected in Delhi. The patient is stable and recovering. There's no need to panic. The situation is under control. We have made a separate isolation ward at LNJP. Our best team is on the case to prevent the spread and protect Delhiites," Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted on Sunday after one case of monkeypox was detected here.
Also Read: India Reports First Monkey Pox Case In Kerala: What Is It Really?
Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad Civil Hospital has set created an isolation ward with eight beds in preparation for possible cases of monkeypox that may be detected. So far, no cases have been detected in Gujarat. The doctors of the hospital told The Indian Express that they are following protocols similar to :-19 and have also acquired test kits to detect the virus.
The ward is equipped with ventilator and oxygen facilities as well.
Karnataka: The state has heightened vigilance in all points of entry such as airports and seaports in the state with authorities monitoring those arriving from countries that have reported monkeypox outbreaks. Not just those arriving at the airports in the states, those who have travelled recently and entered the country at another airport or those with a history of contact with an infected person will be monitored too. The Times of India reported that asymptomatic travellers from countries that have had outbreaks will also be observed for 21 days.
All the districts have also been asked to set up isolation wards with two beds for suspected or confirmed patients of monkeypox.
The Centre has issued guidelines to control the situation. In a notification, the central health ministry stressed on the isolation of cases to prevent transmission, tracing down primary contacts providing 'optimal clinical care'.
"Even one case of monkeypox is to be considered as an outbreak," the health ministry said.
With over 16,00 cases being reported across the globe in 75 countries, the WHO last week declared it a global health emergency.
"There is also a clear risk of further international spread, although the risk of interference with international traffic remains low for the moment", WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said after the Emergency Committee meeting on Saturday.
