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Lockdown due to monkeypox? That's overacting, expert says

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Colorized transmission electron micrograph of monkeypox virus particles (red) cultivated and purified from cell culture. Image captured at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland. NIAID" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/08/29/08292022-colorized-transmission-electron-micrograph-monkeypox-virus-niaid.jpg"/><figcaption>Colorized transmission electron micrograph of monkeypox virus particles (red) cultivated and purified from cell culture. Image captured at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland. <em>NIAID</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — An infectious diseases expert on Monday dismissed calls for a lockdown amid the presence of monkeypox in the country.</p><p>According to Dr. Rontgene Solante, the country&#x27;s 4 confirmed infections of the disease are &quot;not enough yet&quot; to tighten restrictions.</p><p>&quot;Well, that&#x27;s overacting in terms of lockdown as an option for monkeypox infection,&quot; he said in a televised public briefing.</p><p>&quot;We know that monkeypox is not as highly transmissible as COVID. So, I don&#x27;t think a lockdown is a solution,&quot; he added.</p><p>Solante, head of the adult infectious diseases unit of San Lazaro Hospital, instead called on government to intensify surveillance of the disease and heighten protocols in hospitals.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/26/22/doh-rejects-lockdown-due-to-monkeypox">DOH rejects lockdown due to monkeypox cases</a></li></ul><p>The Department of Health last week rejected imposing a lockdown following the detection of a monkeypox case in Iloilo.</p><p>The agency made the remark in response to the Negros Occidental local government&#x27;s plan of possibly tightening regulations in seaports to ensure strict health screening of passengers coming from Iloilo.</p><p>The country&#x27;s fourth monkeypox patient, a 25-year-old Filipino, has no documented travel history to or from any country with confirmed cases of the disease.</p><p>The DOH is still investigating the patient&#x27;s possible source of infection. The country&#x27;s first 3 monkeypox cases were linked to travel.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/25/22/negros-occ-handang-maghigpit-kontra-monkeypox">Negros Occ. handang maghigpit matapos magtala ang Iloilo ng monkeypox case</a></li></ul><p>Solante said it was premature to determine whether or not there was local transmission of monkeypox. </p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s too early to say meron na tayong local transmission but given the fact na itong pang-4 na kaso ay walang history of travel, then the likelihood of a local transmission can be there,&quot; he said.</p><p>The World Health Organization last month designated the outbreak of monkeypox an emergency — something it reserves for diseases of highest concern.</p><p>Symptoms of monkeypox — which is endemic in parts of Central and Western Africa — include lesions, fever, muscle ache and chills. It has only been fatal in rare cases.</p><p>In contrast to previous outbreaks in Africa, the virus is predominantly spread from intimate contact — though it is not a sexually transmitted disease. </p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2199885" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div style="text-align:center"><em><strong>Video courtesy of PTV</strong></em></div><div><strong>— With a report from Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

An infectious diseases expert dismissed calls for a lockdown amid the presence of monkeypox in the country.