8 November 2022 09:13 pm
Proper hand washing and cleanliness are very important to prevent infection of the monkeypox virus, Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) Colombo, Consultant Paediatrician Dr. Deepal Perera said.
He told the Daily Mirror that the above methods would be used as the basic preventive method.
"Monkeypox is a virus in between smallpox and chickenpox, and it appears as blisters, and the monkeypox or smallpox vaccine is not available in the country. Therefore, it is very important to maintain the basic health guidelines," Dr. Perera said.
"This disease could spread through casual contacts, including skin-to-skin and mouth-to-mouth, as well as through sexual contact. He also requested that people should monitor their close contacts for up to 21 days. "If we use the same bed, towel, or bed linen used by a monkeypox-infected person, the virus could be transmitted," he said.
Therefore, proper hand washing and cleanliness are very important to prevent getting infected with the virus, he said.
If children younger than 8 years and pregnant women are infected, it will be serious, and abortions could happen to pregnant women. The smallpox virus was eradicated from the country in 1985, but there is some minor protection for those who got it before 1985.
Therefore, Dr. Perera requested parents not to send their children to school or any other public place if they have symptoms similar to monkeypox, like rashes and skin ulceration, with fever. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)