• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental remains mpox-free, except for highly-urbanized Bacolod City, according to the Provincial Health Office (PHO).
Dr. Ma. Girlie Pinongan, provincial health officer, said on Monday, June 16, that a suspected case of mpox turned out to be negative after a laboratory testing.
The first mpox patient in Bacolod City is now in stable condition and receiving appropriate care in isolation at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital.
Mpox is a viral disease causing fever, swollen lymph nodes, and rashes. The virus is transmitted through contact with an infected person’s or animal’s bodily fluids, wounds, and respiratory droplets.
Pinongan said that mpox is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact and not airborne although its treatment is similar to Covid-19, where a patient is being placed under isolation.
She added that hospitals were already instructed to give medical check-up priority to patients experiencing mpox symptoms and isolate them immediately from other patients. | GB
