THRISSUR/T’PURAM: Tests carried out at the National Institute of Virology in Pune have confirmed that the 22-year-old Chavakkad native who died on July 30 was Monkeypox positive. 21 primary contacts, including the health workers at the private hospital where he was treated, have been asked to remain in isolation. While his mother and sister are among the primary contacts, his father and brother -- who returned from the Gulf after coming to know of his condition -- are in the secondary contacts list.
Health Minister Veena George said in Thiruvananthapuram that the state medical board will conduct a detailed probe into the death. She said the victim was infected with the West African variant of the Monkeypox, as per NIV’s preliminary analysis.
Having returned returned from Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, on July 21 via the Karipur airport, the youngster stayed at home for four days. But as he didn’t show any symptom, he went out and played football with friends on July 25. He was admitted to a private hospital on July 27 and his condition worsened quickly.
His friends said he was a fit person. Nobody, including his family members, was aware of him having any comorbidity. It is learnt that he appeared a healthy person when he returned from abroad. But after playing football, he suffered severe headache and fever, which led to seizures. His family members suspect that engaging in a strenuous physical activity instead of resting sufficiently while infected worsened his condition. Though he had tested positive for Monkeypox while in the UAE, on July 19, the relatives handed over the report to the doctors treating him only on July 30, the day he died.
The primary contacts include a helper, four friends and nine youths who played football with him, besides his family members.The victim shared a flight with 164 passengers, but they are not included in the primary contact list. They have been asked to undergo self-observation for 21 days, which is considered the incubation period for the Monkeypox virus.
The health minister said there was no need for concern.“If the infection is reported early, we can initiate treatment and prevent its spread,” she said. The state has reported the first three of the four Monkeypox cases reported in the country. The first person who tested positive for Monkeypox, a Kollam native, was discharged on Saturday.
DO NOT HIDE SYMPTOMS, SAYS CHIEF MINISTER
T’Puram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has appealed to people not to hide Monkeypox symptoms once they are detected. People with symptoms should immediately contact health workers as treatment and isolation facilities for Monkeypox patients have been set up in all districts. The CM’s appeal follows the revelation that the relatives of the youth who died of Monkeypox in Thrissur hid his infection from the health authorities till the day he died. “Though there is no need for anxiety over Monkeypox, people should follow safety precautions,” he told reporters.