The monkeypox virus Photo: VCG
The World Health Organization (WHO) is considering whether to declare the monkeypox outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern,” the highest level of global alert. This is because the disease has not only affected countries in West and Central Africa, but has also spread to the rest of the world.
Experts urged scientists around the world to seek solutions in a scientific way and not to repeat the political maneuvers witnessed in the global tracing of the origins of COVID-19.
The WHO held a meeting on Thursday aimed at providing views to the WHO director-general on whether the event presents a “public health emergency of international concern” and also on proposals for potential temporary recommendations, he said on Thursday. the WHO.
A “public health emergency of international interest” currently only applies to the COVID-19 pandemic and polio, according to a June 14 UN report.
In May 2022, cases of monkeypox were detected in several non-endemic countries and regions, and related studies are currently being conducted, according to the WHO.
In addition to some European and US countries, monkeypox has also been detected in some Asian countries and regions. The Taiwanese island of China reported on Friday its first imported case of monkeypox. The patient is a man in his 20s and had been studying in Germany for half a year before returning to the island of Taiwan on June 16. He showed symptoms on June 20 and was confirmed to be infected with the virus at the hospital, the local health department said.
Singapore on Tuesday confirmed an imported case of monkeypox infection. The patient is a 42-year-old Briton who works as a flight attendant, whose condition is stable, according to Singapore health authorities.
In South Korea, a patient was reported on Wednesday who reportedly had a headache two days before leaving Germany and had symptoms such as mild fever, sore throat, asthenia, fatigue and skin lesions when he went reach South Korea, according to media reports.
Prior to the outbreak, the disease was mainly found in Africa, and has now been detected in some other countries and regions, Lu Hongzhou, head of Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, told the Global Times on Friday. Lu said global scientists should work together to seek possible solutions in a scientific way, but not to repeat the practice of political maneuvers in tracing the global origins of COVID-19.
Chinese health authorities have issued guidelines for diagnosing and treating monkeypox in the midst of increasing cases reported in other countries and regions, and experts called for the potential risk of virus importation to be controlled. China.
“We have very effective measures, as the current measures against COVID-19 will also have a very good effect in preventing imported smallpox,” Lu said.
Once infected, patients will show symptoms usually in six to 13 days, and the incubation period is less than 21 days, Lu said, noting that symptoms such as fever, rash and headache they can be easily detected and the public has no need to panic.