DOH monitoring mild variant of monkeypox in PH

The Department of Health (DOH) allayed the fears of the public as the monkeypox cases being monitored in the country are of Clade II variant, the mild variant of the said disease.

According to Chino Gaston’s report in “24 Oras” on Friday, the DOH, however, assured that it is on guard to prevent the entry of the more transmissible Clade 1b variant to the country.

“All of them are mpox Clade II. Wala pa kaming nakitang mpox Clade 1b sa Pilipinas. Yung [Clade] II, very mild, self-limiting, at tsaka ang transmission niya ay skin-to-skin contact,” said Health Secretary Ted Herbosa.

(All of them are mpox Clade II. We have yet to monitor any mpox Clade 1b in the Philippines. The Clade II variant is very mild, self-limiting, and the transmission is only through skin-to-skin contact.)

The DOH chief added that some of the fatalities it recorded did not die of mpox, but due to complications brought about by advanced human immunodeficiency virus or HIV.

The latest mpox case logged was a resident from Maco, Davao de Oro. The patient has already recovered, but there were two other suspected cases in Maco and in Nabunturan.

Another case was also reported in Iloilo Province but was also declared recovered by the provincial health office.

In Iloilo City, on the other hand, four individuals are under isolation and monitoring due to suspected infection.

Meanwhile, the local authorities in Bacolod City will strictly monitor hotels, spas, wet markets, and terminals to prevent any outbreaks.

Among the symptoms to watch out for include a skin rash or mucosal lesions, which can last two to four weeks. The rashes are accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.

There is no cure to mpox for now, but isolation, proper care, and rest for up to four weeks would suffice for recovery. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/BAP, GMA Integrated News