MOH transfers monkeypox patients to a specialised facility to recover. They also arranged the area to monitor the infection and the possibility of an outbreak.
Staying in isolation is essential to keep infected people away from healthy people. It is also one of the most effective ways to prevent the sickness from spreading.
Isolation could be an old concept, but it still serves its primary purpose. It prevents the transmission of the monkeypox virus from infected persons to people they encounter.
Isolation facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic proved efficient in several countries. Due to the recent threat of a monkeypox outbreak, Singapore MOH decided to make a specialised facility for monkeypox patients.
In this article, you’ll read:
- MOH Transfers Monkeypox Patients to Specialised Facility
- Isolation Until Non-infectious
- The 12th Case of Monkeypox in Singapore
MOH Transfers Monkeypox Patients to Specialised Facility
The Ministry of Health arranged isolation facilities specifically for monkeypox patients. Starting on the 1st of August (Monday), MOH plans to transfer all the monkeypox patients to the facility once doctors deem them as clinically stable.
Image Source: iStock
14 Days Quarantine Period
Previously, the quarantine period for close contact with monkeypox lasted 21 days. However, the authorities recently cut it down to 14 days. After that, they will conduct 7-day monitoring for symptoms through phone calls.
On the 1st of August 2022, the Ministry of Health (MOH) released a statement regarding the public health measures during the monkeypox outbreak.
“These updated public health measures are in line with the latest local and international data, including that from the World Health Organisation (WHO).”
They required public hospitals to monitor clinically stable monkeypox patients. Concerning this, they will be sending those patients who are deemed stables to the isolation facility. While there, they will receive around-the-clock telemedicine support.
The MOH also said patients should be in the isolation facility until they recover. They will only get discharged from the facility once they become non-infectious and fit for discharge.
In their statement, MOH did not indicate the location of the country’s monkeypox isolation facility.
The monkeypox transmission requires close physical and prolonged contact. It includes face-to-face and skin-to-skin contact, such as sexual contact.
It is the primary reason why the Ministry of Health decided to shorten the quarantine period. MOH added: “the risk to the general public remains low.“
The authorities will transfer all the patients who cannot complete their quarantine at home to a government quarantine facility.
Isolation Until Non-infectious
According to the Ministry of Health, monkeypox is typically a mild and self-limiting illness. In this case, the majority of patients recover within two to four weeks without requiring hospitalisation.
“Those particularly vulnerable to complications are young children, pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals,” MOH added.
Previously, medical health providers isolated all monkeypox patients in hospitals until they were non-infectious. However, they now decide to isolate themselves in the facility until they are non-infectious.
Concerning this, the authorities decided to send the country’s first eight monkeypox cases to the isolation facility. It would be part of a pilot to transit monkeypox cases to recover in the community.
At present, the country’s first eight monkeypox cases were already in stable condition, with mild symptoms.
While they will transfer all the stable patients to the isolation facility, patients in crucial conditions must be in the hospital. Public hospitals will assess the patient if they are at higher risk of complications.
“This allows hospitals to preserve their capacity for cases with more severe symptoms or complications,” said MOH.
The 12th Case of Monkeypox in Singapore
On Monday, the 1st of August 2022, Singapore detected the 12th case of monkeypox in the country.
According to the Ministry of Health, the 12th patient is a 59-year-old man. It is a local unlinked case with no travel history.
The 59-year-old man is the 7th local unlinked case. Meanwhile, the remaining five cases are imported with recent travel history to Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, and Australia.
The news about the recent case of monkeypox in Singapore comes after the MOH announcement on the isolation facilities.
Image Source: iStock
Monkeypox Update
The monkeypox outbreak started in May of this year. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the viral disease currently infects about 18,000 people across 78 countries worldwide.
Due to the rising number of cases, WHO officially declared a global health emergency of the monkeypox outbreak. However, Singapore’s MOH decided to hold back on mass vaccinations.
The monkeypox outbreak caused the death of a few infected cases. The deceased patients hailed from South Africa, India, Brazil, and Spain.
Moreover, we advise parents to watch for possible infections by knowing the symptoms related to the monkeypox virus. These include the following:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle pain
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Chills
- Lethargy
- Skin rash
