No need to press panic buttons over monkeypox, DAK to people of Kashmir
By: Tariq Shah VOV
Srinagar
Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) has said that people in the valley should not panic over the monkeypox cases being reported across the world.
DAK said that monkeypox virus is not spreading like covid and it has no such signs of being pandemic.
According to the DAK statement “The virus spreads through close skin to skin contact and the risk of spread to the general population is very low.”
Dr Hassan said monkeypox is not Covid. The virus doesn’t spread easily through the air because it requires close contact with an infected person. And the virus is unlikely to become a pandemic like Covid-19.
He said monkeypox is by no means new. The first human case was detected in 1970 and since then most monkeypox cases have been found in central and south Africa where the disease is endemic.
Cases outside Africa have been linked to travel history or imported animals from the endemic area. However, in the current outbreak there are cases who have no history of travel.
The DAK President said monkeypox is a mild illness and most cases recover on their own without treatment.
“The virus is closely related to smallpox. Evidence suggests that the smallpox vaccine can help prevent monkeypox infection and decrease the severity of symptoms. Since smallpox has been officially eradicated, routine smallpox vaccination for general population has been stopped in 1980. Older people who were vaccinated against smallpox decades before will still have some protection against monkeypox,” he said.
“Symptoms of monkeypox disease begin with fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes and feeling tired. This is followed by a rash that forms blisters and crusts over. The bumpy rash characteristically first appear on the face and spread to other parts of the body including genitals,” said Dr Nisar.
“The time from exposure to onset of symptoms is usually 7 to 10 days. The duration of symptoms is typically 2 to 4 weeks,” he said.
“While no suspected case of the disease has been detected in Kashmir so far, the valley being the most favorite international tourist destination, we need to be vigilant especially for those travelling from countries which have reported cases of monkeypox,” he said.
