Ministry issues guidelines on treatment of monkeypox patients
The Public Health Ministry released treatment guidelines on Monday after the second monkeypox patient was detected in Thailand last week.
Dr Naruemon Sawanpanyalert, a specialist at the Medical Services Department, said those at risk will be treated as monkeypox patients while waiting for test results from two labs for accuracy.
If the virus is not detected by either lab, then the patient will be treated for symptoms or be discharged. Suspected monkeypox patients who show no symptoms will be advised to monitor themselves for 21 days and visit a doctor immediately if they develop any symptoms.
If the virus is detected, the patient will be treated and isolated. They can only get palliative care as there are no antiviral drugs for monkeypox yet. The patient will be isolated for 14 to 21 days until their scabs fall off.
Naruemon said there are six high-risk groups that might develop severe symptoms, namely:
- People with compromised immunity like HIV and cancer patients.
- People who have received an organ or bone marrow transplant over the past two years.
- People suffering from immunosuppression.
- Children aged eight or less.
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women.
- People suffering from skin disease.
The Public Health Ministry confirmed that the second monkeypox case was found in Bangkok on July 28, while the Disease Control Department said no new cases were found as of Monday.