First monkeypox patient in PH still recovering; close contacts asymptomatic
Test tubes labelled “Monkeypox virus positive” are seen in this illustration taken May 23, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
MANILA, Philippines — The first monkeypox-infected patient in the country is still recovering, said the Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday, with close contacts continuing to remain asymptomatic with no signs of the virus.
“‘Yung kaso sa ating bansa patuloy na nagiisolate, getting well na, nagrerecover na at ‘yung kaniyang mga lesions ay healing already,” said DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire in a briefing.
(The case in our country continues to be isolated, getting well, recovering, and his lesions are already healing.)
“Lahat din ng kaniyang close contacts ay still asymptomatic or without symptoms, still being quarantined and they will finish this quarantine period,” she added.
(All his close contacts are still asymptomatic or without symptoms, still being quarantined and they will finish this quarantine period.)
The patient is a 31-year-old Filipino national who arrived in the country on July 19 after traveling to other countries with documented monkeypox cases.
The DOH also identified 10 close contacts.
Filipino monkeypox case in Singapore
Meanwhile, Vergeire also clarified that the patient is unrelated to Singapore’s reported Filipino monkeypox case.
“Magkaiba po itong tao, magkaiba po sila ng date of onset ng mga sakit magkaiba ang location ng mga pinuntahan so hindi po sila parehong tao,” clarified Vergeire.
(These are different people, they have other dates of onset of the diseases, and the locations where they went are different, so they are not the same person.)
The only similarity the two patients have, she added, was their age.
She then assured the public that the DOH is already coordinating with Singaporean authorities regarding this case.
“Hanggang sa ngayon ang maibibigay lang po nila sa’tin na datos o detalya would be that the individual is a 31 year old and is not a tourist,” said Vegeire.
(Until now, the only data or details they could give us would be that the individual is a 31-year-old and is not a tourist.)
