The 28-year-old man from Cordoba, who was hospitalized in Mexico due to a serious case of monkeypox, died on Monday, his family reported. Santiago Fabián Molina had been living in Playa del Carmen for a year and had been admitted to a Mexican public hospital a month ago due to complications in his health.
“We would like to inform all of Santy’s friends and acquaintances that he has sadly passed away. He will always be in our hearts,” wrote the young man’s mother, Claudia Follin, on her Meta account (formerly Facebook).
Santiago’s friends in Argentina have started a charity fundraiser so that the young man’s mother can travel to Mexico and say her last goodbye, since for health reasons she cannot bring his remains to the country.
“We are desperate to gather as much money as possible from the whole family, but as you know, this process cannot wait many days, and we are not able to gather enough money for the fare. Please, we ask for your grain of sand. Thank you all very much,” wrote Celi Luque and shared an image with the alias to which donations can be sent.
Since Santiago did not have health insurance, his friends also organized raffles to cover the cost of medical tests that doctors requested to monitor the progress of the disease – such as CT scans and blood tests – which had to be paid for in dollars.
Monkeypox: how it is transmitted, symptoms, origin and fatality
Monkeypox is a very rare zoonotic disease with symptoms similar to those seen in smallpox patients, although less severe. The first human cases were identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970.
The disease is transmitted by contact, through saliva or by contact with wounds and scabs. Spain’s Ministry of Health says that Monkeypox “is not considered particularly contagious between people. In general, transmission from person to person is limited.”
Regarding symptoms, it is known that the incubation period is usually 6 to 16 days, although it can vary between 5 and 21. A few days after the onset of fever, a rash (a reddish skin rash) develops, often starting on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body.
The areas most affected by the rash are the face, in 95% of cases, and the palms of the hands and soles of the feet in 75% of those infected. In addition to the rash, people with this disease usually have: low fever, headache, muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes and fatigue.
The dramatic thing is that there is no vaccine or specific treatment available at this time. Treatment is symptomatic and supportive, including prevention and treatment of secondary bacterial infections.
Most people recover within 3 weeks. However, in some cases, severe illness can occur. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the risk of severe illness and death is increased in patients who are immunosuppressed, whether due to medication or disease.
