Bacolod: The Department of Education (DepEd) Division of Negros Occidental has issued a health advisory on mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) to ensure preparedness even as the Provincial Health Office (PHO) has not recorded any confirmed case of the viral illness in the province. In a memorandum released on Monday, Schools Division Superintendent Anthony Liobet stated that upcoming major school activities are expected to result in an influx of people in schools and offices.
According to Philippines News Agency, the health advisory is part of the Division’s preventive measures against the potential occurrence and transmission of mpox within school communities. Public schools are scheduled to hold ‘Brigada Eskwela’ from June 9 to 13, in preparation for the opening of classes on June 16. Liobet assured that the division office will maintain regular coordination with the PHO and local health authorities to stay updated on mpox cases and guidelines, while also monitoring health incidents from schools to facilitate timely responses.
Liobet has advised schools to reinforce basic health and hygiene practices, which include proper handwashing, respiratory etiquette, and environmental sanitation. Schools are also instructed to ensure that functional hand hygiene facilities are available in strategic areas. Furthermore, there is an emphasis on conducting information drives among learners, parents, and personnel regarding mpox symptoms, transmission, and prevention, with informative posters to be displayed in prominent areas of the school.
To minimize risks, schools have been directed to implement crowd control and physical distancing measures during Brigada Eskwela, class opening, and other large gatherings. Liobet also urged monitoring of learners and personnel for signs and symptoms of mpox, with immediate reporting of any suspected cases to the nearest health center and the Schools Division Office through the School Health and Nutrition Unit.
As a preventive measure, individuals not feeling well are advised to stay at home, while learners and personnel showing symptoms must be allowed to shift to distance learning modalities or work from home. Mpox symptoms include skin rash or mucosal lesions, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes, lasting two to four weeks.
Health authorities have identified the predominant mode of mpox transmission as prolonged skin-to-skin contact, including kissing, sexual relations, and hugging persons infected with the virus. Mpox can also spread through respiratory droplets from sick individuals and contact with surfaces contaminated by material from mpox lesions, such as towels or bed linens.
