Last Friday, May 30, Lagunenses were thrown into concern after the province's epidemiology and surveillance unit confirmed the presence of mpox in Laguna province.
Based on data provided by health officials in the province, there were 20 total reported and four confirmed cases of mpox reported in Laguna province from January to May of this year. Not only that, the Laguna PESU also reported at least two active cases of mpox as of May 24.
Naturally, the report has had some Lagunenses panicking and wondering: are we going back to the "horror days" of Covid-19? Will we be once again seeing lockdowns, facemasks, and restrictions on social activities once again?
Here’s the thing: health authorities had said that while mpox is indeed highly contagious, infection is primarily caused by skin-to-skin and close contact.
If we analyze the data, the fact that only 20 reported cases and four confirmed cases from January to May confirms the DOH’s assertion that the variant of mpox currently in the Philippines is not as contagious as those reported in other countries.
It also reinforces the very basic lesson that, unfortunately, many of us had forgotten as we moved on from the Covid-19 pandemic: in all diseases, prevention is still the better approach.
Proper sanitation, frequent handwashing, isolation of suspected cases – these can be our best and effective weapon against the spread of mpox.
Not to mention, of course, that it is vital for the public to know and understand how mpox can spread and how it can be prevented.
Resorting to panic will only make us trust the wrong people and, as in the case of the Covid-19 pandemic, try debunked or even dangerous remedies to try to combat the virus
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