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BAGUIO CITY — The City Health Services Office (CHSO) has activated a health team that will ramp up the implementation of preventive measures following the report of a first case of monkeypox, or Mpox, here.
The team is currently conducting information education communication campaigns, contact tracing and other strategies for case management and transmission prevention, the CHSO said in a press announcement posted at the Baguio CHSO website on Jan. 21.
City Health Officer Dr. Celia Flor Brillantes is advising the public to avoid skin-to-skin contact like hugging, kissing, sexual contact, and the like, since these are one of the modes of transmission of the disease.
Common symptoms of Mpox are skin rashes or muscle lesions that can last for two to four weeks, and these lesions are ac-companied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes, said Brillantes.
Brillantes is urging residents to visit their nearest district health center for checkup if these symptoms manifest. She is also ap-pealing to hotels, inns, lodges, Airbnbs and transient houses to implement stricter sanitation procedures as Mpox can be trans-mitted through infected items such as beddings and other frequently touched objects or surfaces.
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She emphasized that beddings, towels and other similar items must be washed and sanitized every after use by guests or clients. Additionally, employees of these establishments are advised to wear face masks, gloves and long sleeves when handling the housekeeping and laundry of those items to avoid the spread of infection.
Food establishments, including food delivery services, are likewise reminded to strictly adhere to proper sanitation practices. Handwashing areas in the estab-lishments should also be visible to all customers.
Brillantes stressed that riders who deliver food must observe proper and frequent handwashing before and after the handling of food and money.
Tourists and residents are likewise encouraged to wear masks, long sleeves and long pants when visiting crowded places and events, and bring hand sanitizers on all occasions and practice frequent handwashing.
Events' organizers are, likewise, urged to apply such preventive measures for all activities in the city.
As a proactive move, should there be additional Mpox cases in the city, the health team is also preparing the reactivation of an isolation facility for patients whose own houses may not be conducive for home isolation.
The CHSO is currently in coordination with the Cordillera Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council for other preparatory and mitigation measures.
