CASTRIES – Health authorities on Friday said that the six suspected Monkeypox virus cases have all tested negative, but are encouraging St Lucians to continue practising measures aimed at restricting the presence of the virus here.
In a statement, the Ministry of Health said it had received the test results from the Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) “of which all of the suspected cases test results returned negative for the Monkeypox virus.
“As of Friday July 22, 2022 there is no confirmed case of Monkeypox in St Lucia,” the statement said, adding that it is “encouraging persons who develop fever, headache, back pain, muscle ache, weakness, swollen lymph nodes and a rash to go to the nearest health care facility for assessment.
“Persons are advised to take measures that limit their risk of contracting Monkeypox. These measures include frequent washing of hands with soap and water or use of hand sanitizers, the wearing of face masks when in public spaces, and the practicing of physical distancing.”
“In addition, people are encouraged to eat healthy, avoid excessive use of alcohol, stop smoking, and have regular exercise.
Monkeypox may take between five and 21 days for first symptoms to appear. Most people recover within several weeks without requiring hospital treatment.
So far the Monkeypox virus has been detected in The Bahamas, Jamaica, Barbados and Bermuda. (CMC)
