CDC currently recommends vaccination for the following groups:
-People who have been identified by public health officials as a contact of someone with monkeypox.
-People who know one of their sexual partners in the past 2 weeks has been diagnosed with monkeypox
-People who had multiple sexual partners in the past 2 weeks in an area with known monkeypox
Should a teacher, parent, or student with a rash get tested for monkeypox?
1-There are other viral illness that can cause rash and fever
2- Call your healthcare provider if your child develops fevers and a rash
3- Every setting should have standard illness policies
4. All Adults should understand the symptoms of monkey pox
What should adults with monkeypox symptoms do?
-Avoid close contact, including being intimate with anyone, until they have been checked out by a healthcare provider.
-Go to the nearest public health clinic if they don’t have a provider or health insurance.
-Wear a well-fitting mask when they see a healthcare provider
Should I get tested if I have been exposed to someone with monkey pox? There is no routine testing for monkeypox at this time unless one develops symptoms that are associated with monkeypox infection or has known exposure to monkeypox.
1. Follow isolation and prevention practices until the rash can be evaluated by a healthcare provider.
2. Get tested for monkey pox if recommended by the healthcare provider.
3. Isolate while you are waiting for your test results. What if someone in my setting has monkeypox?
1. The childcare/school setting should follow their daily protocol to reduce the transmission of infectious diseases. 2. Clean the classroom/space: where the person with monkeypox spent time
3. Focus on disinfecting items and surfaces that were in direct contact with the skin of the person with monkeypox. 4. Items that cannot be cleaned, disinfected, or laundered should be thrown away.
5. Children, staff (other than those who are cleaning and disinfecting), and volunteers should not enter the area until cleaning and disinfection is completed.
When can someone with monkeypox return to a childcare/school/early learning setting?
1. People with monkeypox should isolate until all scabs have fallen off, and a fresh layer of healthy skin has formed. It could take as as long as 4 weeks after symptoms began.
2. Caregivers should work with their healthcare provider and the department of health to decide when their child can return to the educational setting.
Should we allow someone in our setting who has been exposed to monkeypox ?
According to the CDC, Children, staff, and volunteers who are exposed to a person with monkeypox do not need to be excluded from an educational setting in most cases. In some cases, if contact tracing may not be possible and there was a high degree of exposure, the health department may consider limiting an person’s participation in activities. The CDC also has recommendations for congregate settings.
What should parents do if their child was exposed to monkeypox? Children and adolescents who are exposed to monkeypox should be monitored for symptoms for 21 days.
When monitoring a child for illness following exposure to monkeypox:
Check the child’s temperature daily and perform daily full-body skin checks for a new rash
Inspect the inside of the mouth for any sores or ulcers on young children.
In older children and adolescents, parents can help with inspection of the mouth and exposed skin areas that may be difficult for the child or adolescent to see (back of neck, arms, legs).
Monitor for rash or pain in areas covered by clothing, including the genitals.
If a child or adolescent develops symptoms while at home, the parent or caregiver should contact the local health department and their healthcare provider. The child should not return to the educational setting until assessed by a healthcare provider.
What should a parent with monkeypox do if they cannot isolate from their children? If there is another adult in the household without monkeypox, they should serve as primary caregiver, if possible.
If a child cannot be completely separated from the parent or caregiver with monkeypox, the parent or caregiver should continue to care for their child with prevention practices.
The caregiver should cover their rash with clothing or gloves, wear a well-fitting mask If the child is 2 years of age or older, they should wear a well-fitting mask or respirator during interactions with the parent or caregiver.
Make sure to clean and disinfect surfaces, floors, and shared items used by the person with monkeypox.
Resources: https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/community/school-faq.html https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/clinicians/infection-control-home.html
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I will be answering the following questions today:
What is monkey pox?
When do monkey pox symptoms appear?
Signs and symptoms of monkey pox ?
How long do monkeypox symptoms last?
How can you protect yourself from this virus?
Monkey pox is caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. The virus was named monkeypox but the source of disease still remains unknown. Rodents and non-human primates (like monkeys) are thought be be carriers of this virus. This virus is part of the family of viruses (called variola virus), the virus that causes smallpox. Although the symptoms of monkeypox are similar to smallpox, the symptoms are much milder and rarely fatal. Thank God for that!
Monkeypox symptoms usually start within 3 weeks of exposure to the virus. Some people might get flu-like symptoms with the appearance of the rash 1-4 days later. Monkeypox can be spread from the time symptoms start until the rash has healed and all scabs have fallen oUpdates-on-Monkey-Pox.
How long should you expect the illness to last? This illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks.
Symptoms of monkeypox can include:
- Chills
- Fever
- Muscle aches and backache
- Headache
- Respiratory symptoms (e.g. sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough)
- Sometimes, people have flu-like symptoms before the rash.
- Some people get a rash first, followed by other symptoms.
- Others only experience a rash.
- Some people might get all or a few symptoms.
People with monkeypox can get a rash on any part of the body. The rash might look like blisters or pimples, and it can be itchy and painful. The rash can be seen on or near the genitals or other areas of the body like the chest, hands, feet, face, or the mouth. The rash will go through several stages, including a stage where the lesions will turn into scabs, before healing.
How is Monkey pox spread?
Monkey pox can spread to anyone through close contact, often form skin-to-skin contact including: direct contact with monkey pox rash, scabs, or body fluids from an infected person. Also, contact with respiratory secretions and with surfaces (such as object and fabrics e.g. clothing, bedding, or towels) that have been used by someone with monkeypox. People can also be infected during intimate contact of any kind, prolonged face-to-face contact.
It is important to keep in mind that although the monkeypox outbrak has been linked primarily to intimate contact among men who have sex with men, it can also be transmitted in other ways. For example, there was recent case reported of a traveler who returned to the US from the United kingdom who did not report recent sexual contact. There was also a suspected case of human-to-dog monkeypox transmission.
Monkey pox can also be transmitted by preparing or eating meat, or using products form an infected animal. It is also possible to get monkey pox from being scratched or bitten by an infected animal.
It can also be transmitted through the placenta in pregnancy.
There are still a lot of unknowns about the monkey pox virus. There is ongoing research to see if the virus can be spread when someone has no symptoms and when a person with symptoms might be more likely to spread the virus through respiratory secretions. They is also ongoing research looking at whether or not this virus can be spread through semen, vaginal fluids, urine and feces. I suspect that can be sexually transmitted but the scientific evidence will give us reliable data to support my theory hopefully soon.
How can you protect yourself from this virus?
- Wash your hands as often as possible with soap and water. If you are unable to wash your hands, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash
- Avoid contact with materials or objects that a person with monkeypox has used.
If you are concerned that you might have been exposed to monkeypox or that you have symptoms that are concerning for monkey pox and you don’t have a health care provider or health insurance, please go to the nearest public health clinic.
Please find the link here for the video on Monkeypox: https://youtu.be/TnNxfN_jBtk
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