The Ministry of Health made a call for responsibility and go to the doctor to those who have symptoms compatible with the monkeypoxhow much 4,577 cases after 279 others were recorded, and asked communities to quickly put on the vaccines, of which Spain will receive 7,000 more this week.
The government, said Minister Carolina Darias de Gijón, is try to get more dose of Imvanex, whose production is “limited”, but clarified that “Getting vaccines is just as important as inoculating them by communities.”
“I am aware of the effort, but I ask to maintain it to continue vaccinating because This is the way to continue to save lives”added.
I am aware of the effort, but I ask to maintain it to continue to vaccinate because it is the way to continue to save lives
In our country, the monkeypox vaccination plan includes pre-exposure prophylaxis in people with high-risk practices and close post-exposure contactsespecially those at high risk of serious illness such as children, pregnant women and immunocompromised people, as well as healthcare and laboratory personnel who have had some impact in the use of their PPE.
For the moment The first 5,300 doses of the 11,400 acquired by Spain via Hera have been distributed at the request of the communities, the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, in addition to the 200 others it has purchased from a third country. At the end of the week, Darias said, Another 7,000 will arrive.
Spain, with 4,577 cases, It is still the second country in the world -after the United States- and the first in Europe most affected by this epidemic which broke out at the beginning of May outside the endemic zone of central and western Africa and which led the Director General of the WHO to declare monkeypox a health emergency international public.
Madrid is the Community with the most cases
According to the latest update of data published this Tuesday by the Ministry of Health, Madrid is the community with the highest figure (1,766), ahead of Catalonia (1,463) and, much further, Andalusia (545); Valencian Community (236); Basque Country (115); Canary Islands (107) and Balearic Islands (89).
Far behind, Aragon (45); Galicia (42); Asturias (41); Castile and Leon (33); Castile-La Mancha (23); Murcia (23); Extremadura (20); Cantabria (15); Navarre (11) and La Rioja, with 3.
On this occasion, Health does not specify how many infected people required hospitalization or their characteristics, which will be detailed in a new update next Friday. Until last Saturday, date of the last assessment, which listed 4,298 confirmed positives120 had been admitted (3.2%).
The death toll remains at 2,. They are two young men, including one from the Valencian Community, whose exact reasons for death are still under investigation, although the signs point to encephalitis associated with the infection.
And another, a 31-year-old boy in Cordoba, whose samples are also analyzed to determine if the cause of death is meningoencephalitis or other pathology. Worldwide, 8 have died.
Go to the doctor immediately
In this context, The minister called for the responsibility of those showing symptoms to seek medical attention immediately, so that “no one is left without seeing a doctor for reasons of stigma”.
Pending the update of case characteristics on Friday, the most common symptom among patients was anogenital rash (60.3%), followed by fever (56.6%), exanthema in other locations (non-anogenital or bucco-buccal) (52.8%) and lymphadenopathy (52.2%).
“Let no one be left without seeing a doctor for reasons of stigma”
As in the rest of the countries, the majority of cases have occurred in the MSM population (men who have sex with men)mainly in the context of risky sexual relations, which are the source of more than 82% of positives.
However, recalls Health, “if said sustained transmission is not optimally controlled, there is a significant risk of it spreading to other population groups by the same mechanism of transmission, being possible the affectation of other groups, and the appearance of serious cases in the vulnerable populations”.
Isolation and mask
The monkeypox action protocol recommends that infected people isolate themselves in a room separated from the other cohabitants until the lesions disappear and avoid contact and sexual intercourse; In addition, during this period they must wear a mask, have their own utensils, not go out except to go to the doctor, avoid public transport and not have contact with animals.
Earlier this month, Health toughened it up by including more advice for those infected, like this use a condom within 12 weeks of ending isolation or if they were diagnosed outside their place of residence, do not return until they are finished. She also asks places where group sex is practiced, such as saunas or dark rooms, extreme hygiene.
On the other hand, close contacts should not be quarantined, but should take your temperature once a day for 21 days after exposure. Of course, they should take extreme precautions and reduce social interactions as much as possible, constantly using the mask and abstaining from sexual contact during the follow-up period.