The first confirmed case of monkey pox in Cyprus is simply a matter of time, according to the health minister’s communications advisor Constandinos Athanasiou.
As he told Philenews, a 2nd confirmed case in Greece yesterday, means that the virus will also be reaching the island, noting a higher spread risk factor as the tourist season is underway.
He said that no serious cases are expected, with Cyprus having already set in motion the necessary protocols to deal with monkey pox.
‘Based on such protocols, a number of suspected cases were handled and none of them ended up being confirmed as monkey pox’, Athanasiou added.
Nicosia General is the reference hospital for the virus, with suspected cases showing symptoms are transferred for an initial examination.
‘We are ready and the relevant services are on standby, with the tracking team set to operate if a case is confirmed in the same way as covid 19’, Athanasiou noted.
An ad hoc advisory committee will be set up in the coming days in order to handle all the logistics on monkey pox vaccines and medications, as Cyprus has already ordered a batch from the EU.