Thursday, 19th September 2024

Trinidad and Tobago: Health ministry calls emergency meeting on monkeypox

The Ministry of Health Trinidad and Tobago called for an emergency gathering with health specialists to discuss the recent monkeypox outbreak

Saturday, 21st May 2022

Trinidad and Tobago: Health ministry calls emergency meeting on monkeypox
The Ministry of Health Trinidad and Tobago called for an emergency gathering with health specialists to discuss the recent monkeypox outbreak, which has affected at least 100 people in seven nations. Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh told reporters after receiving his second COVID-19 booster that he was at the meeting before going to the immunisation facility.  He stated that the government of Trinidad and Tobago is quite concerned about monkeypox.  Representatives from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), including Dr Roshan Parasram- Epidemiology Division Technical Director, Dr Avery Hinds- Principal Medical Officer of Institutions, Dr Maryam Abdool-Richards, and Manager of the Extended Programme on Immunization nurse Grace Sookchand, were present at the emergency meeting. Prior to the meeting, the Minister of Health claimed he met with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). A small number of instances have been reported in nations such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and France, according to international sources. What exactly is Monkeypox?  Monkeypox is an uncommon disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  According to the CDC, the illness is similar to smallpox but has milder symptoms. It is disseminated largely when a person comes into touch with the virus from an infected animal, human, or substance. The incubation time for monkeypox is usually 714 days, but it can vary between 521 days, according to the CDC. The symptoms involve fever, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness are the first symptoms to appear. The fundamental distinction between smallpox and monkeypox symptoms is that monkeypox causes swollen lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy), but smallpox does not. A rash appears three days after the onset of the fever, generally starting on the face and spreading to other regions of the body. Symptoms last two to four weeks on average.