Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 26) — The country’s latest monkeypox patient is hesitant to give further information making it difficult to establish an accurate infection history, the Department of Health said Friday
DOH Officer-in-Charge Ma. Rosario Vergeire said the 25-year-old patient — who has no travel history to other countries with confirmed cases or contact with a monkeypox patient — is concerned with undue media exposure.
“Ang isa sa nagiging challenge natin ngayon for us is to establish the accurate history from the patient,” said Vergeire in a media briefing. “The patient is now hesitant to give us information because of all the media reports that happened in the past days, na-post yung picture niya sa social media. So medyo hesitant siya makipagusap ngayon.”
[Translation: One of the challenges we are experiencing is for us to establish the accurate history from the patient who is now hesitant to give us information because of media reports in the past days. The patient’s picture was apparently posted on social media.]
The DOH said the patient’s location and activities since exhibiting symptoms were traced.
The department is seeking more information that may lead to the source of infection.
“So ngayon gusto lang natin magkaroon ng second interview for us to further get from him additional information that may lead us to the specific source of infection,” said Vergeire.
[Translation: We want a second interview to get additional information that may lead us to the specific source of the infection.]
Vergeire reiterated a local transmission of monkeypox remains unclear.
The latest monkeypox case is still in isolation and continuously healing, the DOH reported.
Meanwhile, all 14 identified close contacts of the patient have no symptoms, including six who were discharged from isolation.
The department is reminding the public to respect the privacy of people with certain diseases.
“Let’s preserve and respect the identity and the privacy of specific individuals afflicted with specific illnesses para naman po hindi sila nagkakaroon ng mga agam-agam, nawawala ang tiwala sa gobyerno,” said Vergeire.
[Translation: Let’s preserve and respect the identity and the privacy of specific individuals afflicted with specific illnesses so they will not have doubts nor lose their trust in the government.]
