Disease Control Cheong Monkeypox Risk Assessment Meeting Results
Risk Alert Level and Response Measures Maintained
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] The quarantine authorities have decided to maintain the domestic alert level and response measures for monkeypox.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced on the 25th that it held a risk assessment meeting in the afternoon and made this decision following the World Health Organization's (WHO) declaration of monkeypox as a 'Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)'.
At the meeting, the trends in monkeypox cases, response measures, and risk assessments were discussed. Attendees included Kim Heon-ju, Deputy Director of KDCA; the Director of Disease Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare; Professor Kim Nam-joong from Seoul National University College of Medicine; Professor Eom Jung-sik from Gachon University Gil Medical Center's Department of Infectious Diseases; and Professor Lee Jae-gap from Hallym University Gangnam Sacred Heart Hospital's Department of Infectious Diseases.
As a result of the meeting, it was decided to maintain the current domestic monkeypox alert level at 'Caution'. KDCA had raised the alert level from 'Interest' to 'Caution' on the 22nd of last month following the first confirmed case of monkeypox in Korea.
On the 23rd (local time), WHO also maintained its risk assessment for monkeypox as 'High' in Europe and 'Moderate' for the rest of the world outside Europe.
Accordingly, the quarantine authorities will continue the emergency quarantine system through the operation of the Central Disease Control Headquarters and regional quarantine task forces, maintain existing monkeypox response measures such as strengthening fever criteria and expanding testing systems.
Since the 1st of this month, the fever criterion for quarantine inspections of travelers entering Korea from the top five countries with frequent monkeypox cases?United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Portugal, and France?has been strengthened from 37.5℃ to 37.3℃. Additionally, monkeypox reagents were distributed to 17 local government health and environment research institutes, and diagnostic and testing training was conducted to expand the monkeypox diagnosis and testing system regionally.
The monkeypox treatment drug 'Tecovirimat' for 504 patients arrived in Korea on the 8th and has been supplied to city and provincial hospitals since the 15th. On the 20th, a supply contract for 5,000 doses was signed with the manufacturer of the third-generation smallpox vaccine 'Jynneos', and efforts are underway to introduce it domestically.
Although there has been no change in the domestic monkeypox outbreak situation, KDCA stated that, considering the possibility of overseas importation, it will thoroughly monitor overseas trends and consider additional procurement of vaccines and treatments if necessary.
Kim Heon-ju, Deputy Director of KDCA, who attended the meeting, said, "Cooperation from the public and medical community is most important for early detection of monkeypox and blocking community spread," and urged "proper handwashing and adherence to personal hygiene and safe travel guidelines, as well as prompt reporting by medical personnel."
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