BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Benjamin Magalong here said that there is no reason to panic or impose a lockdown after this city recorded its first Monkeypox or Mpox case.

Magalong said they are conducting contact tracing to determine the patient’s close contacts.

However, Magalong said they are having difficulty because of the patient’s non-cooperation. “Encountering difficulties because the close contact refuses to divulge more information,” he said.

Magalong urged the people to practice routine health protocols such as the use of face masks and adherence to physical distancing, hand and personal hygiene, and proper ventilation.

Dr. Celia Flor Brillantes, chief of the City Health Services Office, reported that a 28-year-old man was infected with the less severe Clad II Mpox virus, not Clade I which is considered fatal. The patient was released from isolation and is now recovering.

Brillantes urged the people to practice INGAT against Mpox:

𝗜 – avoid prolonged skin-to-skin contact and crowded places.

𝗡 – since the symptoms are similar to those of the flu, wear a face mask, long sleeves, and pants when going to crowded and damp places.

𝗚 – practice proper and frequent hand washing and sanitizing frequently touched objects.

𝗔 – learn important information about Mpox and monitor yourself for symptoms.

𝗧 – call or go to a health center if you have one or more symptoms.

The Department of Health said that the Mpox virus can have “human-to-human transmission through direct contact with skin or mucosal lesions” such as “talking or breathing, kissing, touching, hugging, or sexual intercourse and also through respiratory secretions.”

It can also be acquired indirectly through contaminated bedding, clothing, or linen or other objects.

Symptoms of the viral disease include skin rash or mucosal lesions accompanied by fever, swollen lymph nodes and sore throat, muscle and back pain, headache, and low energy.