Second monkeypox case discharged, Health Minister says infection can’t spread

Guyana’s second monkeypox patient has been discharged from the infectious diseases hospital, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has said, noting that neither of the two patients has rashes to spread the infection.

During Wednesday’s COVID-19 Update, the Minister said the only two infected persons in Guyana are now home and their close contacts can return to normalcy.

“The second patient was discharged and we have checked in with the person’s close contacts and again there have been no signs or symptoms of any rash developing so they are also cleared,” Dr Anthony said.

He added: “We are quite satisfied that they cannot spread anything. They have been in isolation with us for the requisite period so we are quite satisfied at this point in time they would not be able to spread anything.”

The two confirmed cases, a 57-year-old Region Four man and a woman in her 30s, were reported in August. The pair which are not related cases, were discharged this week after receiving treatment at the hospital at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

In addition, the minister reminded that the hospital staff received training to respond to possible infectious diseases that may be contracted. Noting that the staff were previously trained to take COVID-19 tests, he added that, “We have ongoing training programmes for our doctors. We have been doing a number of continuing medical education.”

“We have also worked with our laboratory staff to make sure that they can take off samples properly and store them, send them down to the National Public Health Reference lab where will be able to do some of this testing. That type of training was done especially for monkeypox,” Dr Anthony said.

Medical personnel, doctors and nurses have been trained by the Ministry of Health to treat and diagnose monkeypox cases. There has also been a surveillance and monitoring of entry ports to take reports of cases.

Thus far, 15 persons have tested for monkeypox with only the two confirmed cases having positive results. The 24 hrs toll free hotline for persons who have questions about monkeypox or want to report possible cases is 0449.