As rumors about the monkeypox virus circulated, a top medical official at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) urged the public not to panic because the virus does not spread as easily as the highly contagious Covid-19.
“Monkeypox does not spread as easily as Covid at the moment,” said Section Head of Infectious Diseases at AKUH Dr. Faisal Mahmood in an interview with The Express Tribune, who strongly advised patients to seek medical attention if any symptoms appeared.
Dr. Faisal clarified the symptoms of the new disease, saying that people should be wary of fever, aches, and bumpy rashes.
“These are the main symptoms. Fever followed by a bumpy rash,” he emphasized.
In terms of fatalities, he maintained that monkeypox is not as dangerous as Covid. “The current strain has a 1% mortality rate,” he said, adding that the virus was discovered in a patient who had been exposed to a monkey.
According to the infectious disease expert, rodents, specifically mice and rats, are the primary hosts of the poxvirus.
“The virus is spread through close contact with lesions. Also, it can spread through the air, but the person needs to be closer and also for longer. Prevention is therefore aimed at preventing these exposures,” the doctor added.
He emphasized that precautions included staying in a separate room, handling laundry with care and that no specific medications for the disease were recommended.
Dr. Faisal confirmed that the recovery period from monkeypox lasts at least two to four weeks and that people who test positive must be quarantined “until the bumpy rash crusts and the crust falls off.”
To read our blog on “Pakistan had its first two cases of monkeypox,” click here.
