Mpox

He Cancun International Airport still without instructions from health authorities to implement the protocol for monkeypox casesor because of the issue of COVID-19whose suspected patients have seen an increase in recent weeks. However, it is increasingly common to see passengers and terminal staff wearing face masks, either as protection from the mpox or of the SARS-COV-2.

According to the most recent report of the Ministry of Health In the entity, there are 5 new cases of COVID-19 and 7 in follow-up, in addition to the fact that in the North Zone, hospital occupancy increased by 0.6 percent; despite this, until the closing of this edition, the health authorities had not seen the need to impose again the mandatory use of the face mask in the AICalthough some passengers have chosen to use it in common areas, as a preventive measure.

Crowds of people are a good way to spread these two diseases. / Mario Hernández

The use of face masks for travel is back

“We have not heard about the new COVID-19 measures or monkeypoxwe decided to use it just for prevention, because both in this airport and in the CDMX There are people from everywhere and you never know. Before traveling, we consulted with the family doctor and on official websites to obtain more up-to-date information and although we did not find anything alarming, the doctor recommended that we use them if we felt safer that way,” said members of the Burgos family, at Terminal 2 of the airport in the city of Cancun.

Like them, there are more travelers and personnel working in the air area and in the different airlines that prefer to use the face maskboth in buildings and in transportation for employees.

Regarding the subject of monkeypox, renamed mpox by the World Health Organization (WHO) and which was declared an international health emergency, in Mexico there are 212 cases recorded so far in 2024, according to the Ministry of Health. Most of these are located in Mexico City, with 29, but there are also seven in Quintana Roo.

In the Northern Zone of the state of Quintana Roo, there are 5 new cases of COVID-19. / Mario Hernández

This disease, caused by a virus belonging to the same genus as smallpox, was first detected in Africa in 1970; however, it used to be endemic to the region.

Its transmission in recent years, beyond the area where it originated, has raised alarm bells, especially after the appearance of a new variant, called Ib, with a greater transmission capacity and mortality than its predecessor, known as IIb, which caused an outbreak that spread throughout the world in 2022.

Monkeypox is spread by direct contact with infected animals, such as apes and rodents, or with infected people through injuries, bodily fluids, or respiratory droplets. It is also important to mention that this disease is not as contagious as some other infections, including COVID-19, and transmission requires close contact with someone who has the disease, a contaminated environment, or an infected animal (monkey) to become infected.

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