National Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention: Monkeypox close contacts require health monitoring for 21 days. Personnel | Symptoms | Country
The National Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention and the National Health Commission recently jointly released the "Monkeypox Prevention and Control Plan", requiring medical institutions at all levels and types to carry out monitoring of monkeypox like symptoms and 21 days of self health monitoring for close contacts of monkeypox.
The scheme requires that medical institutions at all levels and all types of hospitals should carry out monitoring of monkeypox like symptoms, especially dermatology, anorectal department, AIDS voluntary counseling and testing clinics, and strengthen the differential diagnosis of monkeypox like symptoms. Medical institutions at all levels and types, as well as disease control institutions, should proactively inquire about the presence of monkeypox like symptoms and suspected contact history when providing diagnosis, treatment, testing, and counseling services to key populations such as men who engage in male sexual activity, and promptly detect cases of monkeypox. Customs strengthens port health quarantine. Upon receiving abnormal health declarations related to monkeypox or discovering monkeypox like symptoms during quarantine, inbound personnel should undergo nucleic acid testing in a timely manner, issue a "Medical Convenience Card", and guide them to seek medical treatment as soon as possible. In addition, areas with conditions can, based on the local epidemic situation, conduct sewage monitoring on key activity areas such as bars, clubs, and bathtubs that are frequently visited by male sexual activity groups through evaluation, and promptly detect places where there may be cases of monkeypox.
Close contacts of monkeypox include those who have direct contact with the affected area and contaminated items of the case, or infected animals and their secretions, exudates, and other pollutants; And individuals who have been assessed to be at risk of infection due to occupational exposure or long-term close inhalation of respiratory droplets. The plan is clear, and close contacts will be subject to 21 days of self health monitoring. The health monitoring period is 21 days from the date of last contact. During the self health monitoring period, normal life and work can be carried out, and close contact such as sexual contact with others should be avoided, and blood donation should be avoided. Disease control institutions or grassroots medical and health institutions should proactively inquire about the self health monitoring status of close contacts by phone or in person on the 7th, 14th, and 21st day, and promptly investigate and handle any abnormal situations. Close contacts should adhere to daily temperature measurement and symptom monitoring, with main symptoms including fever, rash, and superficial lymph node enlargement. Once close contacts experience relevant symptoms, they should promptly go to medical institutions for treatment or contact follow-up contacts to undergo monkeypox virus nucleic acid testing.
The plan points out that early publicity and education should be carried out for key populations, entry-exit personnel, and the general population to strengthen their awareness of prevention and self-protection, and actively cooperate with prevention and control work. For key groups, it is necessary to fully learn from the experience of comprehensive intervention and service model of AIDS prevention and control, and carry out peer education in bars, clubs, baths and other key activity places where men who have sex with men often go. Outbound personnel need to pay attention to the epidemic information of monkeypox in the destination country and region, and do not come into contact with individuals with monkeypox like symptoms, rodents, primates, and other animals. Individuals from countries and regions reporting monkeypox outbreaks who have a suspicious history of contact overseas should undergo self health monitoring within 21 days of entry to avoid close contact with others. Once monkeypox like symptoms appear, they should seek medical attention proactively.
The National Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention stated that the population is generally susceptible to monkeypox virus, and vaccination with smallpox vaccine has a certain degree of cross protection against monkeypox virus. At present, the main transmission route of monkeypox is through sexual contact among men who have sex with men, and men who have sex with men are a key group of people infected with monkeypox. At present, the general population has a lower risk of contracting monkeypox virus, but it is necessary to understand the basic knowledge of monkeypox and take good health protection measures.
