Doctors and nurses who come into contact with infected people should isolate themselves, Claire Dewsnap, head of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, told the BBC on Saturday.
In London, clinics would no longer offer “walk-in treatment”, the broadcaster reported: Patients would have to call in advance and describe their symptoms before being given an appointment. Some employees have already been vaccinated against smallpox. Even if the vaccine is not specifically tailored to the monkeypox virus, it should offer some protection – especially against more serious diseases.
Dewsnap said the infections would add to the pressure on already heavily-stretched staff. “I’m not worried about infections and the consequences for those affected,” said the head of the association. “But I am concerned about our ability to maintain good sexual health services and access for all while managing this new infection.”
She called for more financial support. “Over the past decade, funding from the public health budget has declined significantly.” As a result, there are now fewer staff and fewer opportunities to treat patients.
Pandemic expert Peter Horby from the University of Oxford was puzzled by the spread of monkeypox. Horby told the BBC it was an “unusual situation” because the virus was being transmitted outside of West and Central Africa. There is “apparently an element of sexual transmissibility,” Horby said, noting that the virus was primarily found in gay or bisexual men.
Twenty cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in the UK so far. Cases have also been found in other countries such as Germany, Spain, France, Sweden, Australia and the USA, and the virus has not yet been detected in Austria. The World Health Organization (WHO) had called for a rigorous follow-up of all contacts of those affected. Clinics and the population would have to be made aware of the symptoms.
Monkeypox occurs mainly in West and Central Africa and very rarely elsewhere, making the current outbreaks unusual. Since the beginning of May, increasing numbers of cases have been detected in Europe. Symptoms include fever, headache, and skin rashes, which usually start on the face and spread to the rest of the body. The disease is usually mild. Monkeypox is a rare viral disease that is transmitted to humans from animals, most likely rodents. Human-to-human transmission is rare, but possible with close contact.
Source: Nachrichten
