Hospital.Help

Hanover – According to Health Minister Andreas Philippi, Lower Saxony is prepared for a possible first case of Mpox disease. “We are well positioned,” said the SPD politician of the German Press Agency in Hanover. The hospitals are always prepared for infectious patients.

Philippi does not believe there is any great danger at the moment. “But it would be fatal to take the virus lightly.” The disease, formerly known as monkeypox, is under constant observation in Lower Saxony.

“We have one of the best laboratories in the country at the State Health Office,” said Philippi, adding: “We can do very good and accurate diagnostics there.” Now people need to be made aware of the virus.

Philippi also spoke out in favor of delivering vaccines to Africa. “We must now check our stocks as quickly as possible and deliver the maximum amount of vaccines that is reasonable,” said the minister. This must be done without bureaucracy and free of charge. On Monday, the federal government announced that it would donate 100,000 doses of vaccine to affected countries. The vaccine is to come from the Bundeswehr’s stocks.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the highest alert level two weeks ago due to the current Mpox outbreaks in Africa and the new, possibly more dangerous clade Ib. The Democratic Republic of Congo in particular is affected by outbreaks, with more than 18,000 suspected cases and 575 registered deaths, according to the WHO.

In addition, there are more than 200 confirmed infections with the new variant Ib in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. Outside Africa, Ib cases have been registered in people in Sweden and Thailand who had previously been in Africa. © dpa/aerzteblatt.de