Fernando Ruiz, minister of health and social protection, explained that monkeypox is a disease that has been circulating in Africa for more than 50 years, and has recently begun to appear in Europe and the American continent.

“It is a disease that is characterized by the presence of lesions on the skin, similar to chickenpox, which appear and last approximately for two to three weeks. The disease becomes viral mainly due to contact, with the lesions, with fluids and it has also been shown to spread by sexual transmission,” said the minister.

Ruiz highlighted that it is a disease that has been characterized in this last appearance by its low lethality, below 0.03%, and it is a relatively low-contagion disease, if one compares it with COVID-19, for example.

“It is less contagious and less severe, therefore, it does not represent a threat posed by COVID, but there is evidence that there is community transmission in several European countries, as well as in the United States, Brazil and Peru,” he added.

As for Colombia, the head of the health ministry highlighted that so far there is confirmation of 11 cases, of which 10 originated outside the country.

“So right now, we are in a containment phase, which represents a very important opportunity for the country,” the official added.

Likewise, the minister pointed out that since last May 30, the health ministry, together with the National Institute of Health (INS), began the phase of intensified surveillance, with monitoring of cases at the national level.

“Right now, we have a fairly extensive diagnostic network enabled; the diagnosis of the disease is made by molecular biology (PCR test) and that same network can support the diagnosis,” the minister specified.

Already enabled are the INS central laboratory, five province public health laboratories, and 12 laboratories, both from the molecular biology network and from the genomic network, so that Colombians can rest assured “because there is sufficient capacity for diagnosis.”

On the other hand, he recalled that, before the WHO declaration, instructions were given yesterday at the national level at the Unified Command Post (PMU) for the containment of the disease. A protocol of entry into the country has been prepared with Migración Colombia, which allows identifying people who may have the disease, in order to isolate them as soon as possible.

“Isolation due to the disease is estimated at around 21 days, in the event that the disease is present, which is the phase in which there may be a greater risk of contagion,” explained Ruiz.

The minister, on the other hand, stressed that at this time the country’s EPSs are receiving guidelines for the designation of at least one reference center within their care network, for the care of people with this disease, in order to make a more effective diagnosis and have rapid detection capacity of infected people.

“Also, the different territorial entities that have international flights must designate a referral entity to receive patients, to make the respective early diagnosis and proceed to isolation,” recommended the senior official.

And, considering what is to come, the minister summoned the EPSs to a specific training next Monday in the care model and the management plan. And he also stressed that more training will be offered throughout the week.

Regarding the above, the deputy minister of public health and provision of services, Germán Escobar, explained that for several weeks the situation has been analyzed in the Strategic Committee on Health, of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, with the WHO and with the WHO Risk Management Committee and that “this week we will have a new Strategic Health Committee, with experts, in which we will analyze additional measures, if applicable.”

Escobar assured that “the most important thing is that we are currently following a model of care and response, in a containment phase with the EPSs, which we have trained–and will train–very especially this week in handling the situation, and above all also contacting the specialists.

Escobar also made a recommendation, centering on the fact that many of the patients go to dermatology specialists when they see the symptoms on their skin.

“It is very important to refer the cases to the territorial entities for their due report, containment of the case, risk study and, of course, management at home with isolation,” explained the deputy minister.

Among other aspects, minister Ruiz made a “call to be at ease,” taking into account that, so far, this is not a phenomenon of the magnitude of COVID.

“It does not have such an accelerated transmission; it does not have a high mortality. It is a disease that obviously causes discomfort, that is contagious, but undoubtedly the call is to maintain a situation of reassurance and trust in the health services, the health system and their EPS,” he assured.

And he stressed that at this time what the country is seeking is to reduce the impact of community transmission, which is when cases no longer come from outside, but instead begin to be transmitted within the country.

“It is not easy to avoid it. In the United States, there is community transmission practically in all states, but we are trying to do the best possible containment, and here the invitation to Colombians is to work preventively and, in the event that there is an injury of this nature, go to your EPS as quickly as possible to be referred to the reference center,” said the head of the health ministry.

Finally, the minister stressed that the same measures for the coronavirus work: hand washing and distancing, “these are measures that we can all take for prevention.”