The government of São Paulo announced, this Thursday (4), the launch of initiatives to combat monkey pox , caused by the Monkeypox virus. The coping plan includes the creation of a control center and an integrated network for laboratory diagnosis and care for patients with the disease.
The network, which was named “Emílio Ribas de Combate à Monkeypox” will have the integrated coordination of the State Health Departments and the Health Science, Research and Development portfolio.
According to the government, the coping plan includes the definition of 93 state hospitals and maternity hospitals that will be a reference in supporting the most serious cases requiring hospitalization of patients and isolation beds or Intensive Care Units (ICU).
The service network will include the Instituto de Infectologia Emílio Ribas, with units in the capital of São Paulo and Guarujá, in addition to university hospitals that will be a reference, such as the Hospital das Clínicas of the University of São Paulo (USP), the HC of Ribeirão Preto, and the state’s own general hospitals.
“The central objective is to join efforts and integrate institutions and centers of excellence to promote strategic prevention and care actions, taking into account what has been learned in the face of the latest confrontations of endemics and pandemics. The state of São Paulo is prepared to respond quickly to this new challenge”, said David Uip, Secretary of Science, Research and Development in Health.
Epidemiological surveillance
In order to stop the spread of the disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends tracking people who may have been exposed to the virus from laboratory-confirmed cases.
To expand the monitoring of the disease in the state, the Adolfo Lutz Institute will carry out genomic surveillance of cases, analyzing the behavior of the disease from the study of the virus. In addition to the institute, the network has 13 regional offices located on the coast and inland of the state.
According to the government, the network, which will include the Butantan Institute, university and private laboratories, will also accredit other laboratories to carry out molecular diagnostic tests (RT-PCR), which allow the detection of the DNA of the virus. In addition, a joint resolution of the two state secretariats will be published with regulations and requirements for the processing of samples.
About 3,000 health professionals were trained to work in the network by the Health Department. The Epidemiological Surveillance Center of the government of São Paulo has installed a free telephone service, with 24-hour on-call physicians available to guide and answer questions from public and private health professionals about diagnosis and clinical management of patients infected with the virus.
control center
The Emílio Ribas Combat Network against Monkeypox will still have a situation room that has already been activated, according to the government. The Control and Integration Center (CCI) has 24 specialists from different institutions, including scientists, epidemiologists, virologists, infectologists and university professors.
The specialists will advise on the actions of the government of São Paulo in dealing with the outbreak, in addition to studying and designing epidemiological scenarios, proposing measures and identifying opportunities for the development of vaccines and prospecting for effective treatments to combat the disease.
Source: CNN Brasil
