In Fight Against Monkeypox, Covid, Indoor Ventilation is a Key Tool in Reducing Risk of Infection

We are facing an ever increasing caseload of Covid-19, which has reached 20,000 new cases every day. There is also an additional threat of monkeypox, which has been detected in India and has been declared a Global Health Emergency. Countries such as India and the UK have even advised airborne precautions pointing towards a risk of easy spread through respiratory droplets. Although, not as easily as Covid-19.

Masks, social distancing and vaccinations are existing tools, which are helping us fight Covid-19 and monkeypox. One important tool that we as a country have not used is indoor ventilation. Indoor ventilation means putting outdoor air inside and removing indoor air to reduce the risk of infection.

What can we do to Ensure Monkeypox Doesn't become the Next Covid?

In addition to the recent surge in the number of Covid cases across several regions, India reported its first case of monkeypox virus last week in Kerala. The infected person is said to have reached the state capital recently from UAE and started feeling symptoms soon after landing. In the wake of the first confirmed case in the country, GoI on Friday released fresh guidelines for international travellers to control the spread of the virus. Health agencies across the globe are still figuring out how severe and lethal the virus can be. Several countries have been failing to control the spread, despite being aware of the origin and integrities of the monkeypox virus in humans since the 1970s. While the Covid pandemic is not over, only timely and strategised measures can prevent another major outbreak.