ANTIQUE – Despite a confirmed case of monkeypox in Iloilo, the provincial government of Antique is not closing its border with its neighboring province.
“Wala. No fear,” declared Gov. Rhodora Cadiao.
The Iloilo case – the fourth monkeypox case in the country and the first in Western Visayas – is 25-year-old male with no travel history in countries with monkeypox cases.
According to Cadiao, people strictly following health protocols is enough to ward off monkeypox, so there is no need for drastic measures such as lockdowns.
She stressed the importance of facemasks and physical distancing.
“The lessons we learned from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is very useful to us now,” added Cadiao.
Still, Cadio ordered rural health unit (RHUs) of Antique’s 18 towns to monitor their areas for possible monkeypox cases.
According to the World Health Organization, the signs and symptoms of monkeypox include: rash with blisters on face, hands, feet, body, eyes, mouth or genitals; fever; swollen lymph nodes; headaches; muscle and back aches; and low energy.
You can catch monkeypox through close contact with someone who has symptoms including:
* skin-to-skin contact
* face-to-face contact
* mouth-to-skin contact
* touching contaminated bedding, towels, clothing or objects
WHO came out with suggested measures to avoid monkeypox:
* isolate at home in a well-ventilated room and talk to a health worker if you have symptoms
* avoid skin-to-skin or face-to-face contact including sexual contact if you or the other person has symptoms
* clean hands, objects and surfaces that have been touched regularly
* wear a mask and disposable gloves if you are in close contact with someone with symptoms/PN
