Smallpox: Urgent recommendation for a 21-day quarantine in Germany

Her Minister of Health Germany gave an urgent recommendation for smallpox of monkeys and stressed that as many sick people will stay in quarantine for 21 days, clarifying however that there is no risk of a new pandemic.

THE Karl Lauterbach Speaking at a press conference at the German Medical Conference in Bremen, Mr Lauterbach said that in order to limit the spread of smallpox, monkeys must be isolated for at least 21 days. In addition, he stressed, to end the quarantine period, the symptoms of the disease must have completely subsided. “There is no risk of a pandemic, but in the first phase of an epidemic, the reaction must be harsh and timely“, Added the Minister of Health and clarified that the recommendation was formulated jointly with the” Robert Koch “Institute. The press conference was also attended by the head of the Lothar Wheeler Institute and the President of the German Medical Association Klaus Reinhart.

Already Outbreaks of monkey pox have been reported in Berlin, Bavaria, Saxony-Anhalt and Baden-Württemberg, while the authorities are in the process of tracking contacts. Mr Wheeler said the Robert Koch Institute was confident of an increase in the number of cases and assured that every effort was being made to reduce the number of cases. “This can happen through successful tracking of contacts, avoiding close contact with infected people and taking strict hygiene measures. The “risk groups” of people with weakened immune systems should be especially carefulthe head of the Institute said, explaining that the virus is transmitted regardless of sexual orientation, gender and age, although most of the known cases so far come from mass events which were “related to sexual activity”.

Karl Lauterbach, who is also a professor of Epidemiology, explained that smallpox was already known in the past, but should be investigated because the current epidemic is different from the older ones.