THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the wake of Monkeypox cases being reported, the state government on Wednesday issued standard operating procedures (SOP). All government and private hospitals shall follow the SOP involving isolation, treatment and sample collection of Monkeypox cases.
Health Minister Veena George said all international passengers will be checked for temperature using thermal scanners at the airport. If they have fever, the medical team will check for other symptoms such as rashes. If there are rashes, the team will contact the district medical officer and send the passenger to a nearby hospital with an isolation facility.
Monkeypox infection should be suspected in any person who has travelled in the last 21 days to a country where the infection has been reported and if he/she has red spots on the body along with one or more of the other symptoms like fever, headache, body ache or fever.
Those coming in close contact with the infected, caring for the infected without wearing PPE kit, touching the skin of the infected, sharing bed or clothes or having physical intimacy should be included in the list of primary contacts. All suspected people should be treated separately in isolation. The district surveillance officer (DSO) shall be informed of the isolated patient, as per the SOP. It shall be the responsibility of the DSO to send the samples for testing.