October 12, 2024

In the month of August 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that mpox, formerly known as Monkeypox, is now a global public health emergency after its new variant the Clade 1A was detected in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the same month. It caused an alarming surge in neighboring countries. The mpox cases in Africa this year as of October are reported to be more than 24,000, with more than 640 death cases. This number of cases exceeded last year’s cases.

In the Philippines, the Department of Health (DOH) reported three new cases last September. The first ever case in the country this year was reported back on August 18. The country starting from July 2022 has now 18 mpox cases, with five new cases recovered and eleven of them are still in home isolation. No death cases related to mpox yet.

Image from The New York Times

Mpox is a viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus, and it would spread from person to person and/or environment to person through close contact and touching of contaminated things. It can also be transmitted from animal to person if an animal is  contacted with the disease.

The common symptoms of mpox are rashes that would cause blisters or sores, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, and swollen glands (lymph nodes). Signs of mpox symptoms usually begin a week but they can start 1–21 days after exposure, and they last 2–4 weeks, but may last longer for a person with a weaker immune system. Its rashes would last for two to four weeks and would affect the face, hands, soles of the feet, groin, genitals, and/or anal regions.

Image from Bhekisisa

Fortunately it was reported last August that the World Health Organization (WHO) had set a global Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan for the prevention of the mpox outbreak across the world. This includes strategic response and aid, minimization of disease transmission, advancement of research and equitable access to medical countermeasures (diagnostic tests, vaccines), and empowerment of prevention and control among communities. They first start their response plan to prioritized countries like the DRC, while those affected countries not prioritized by the WHO due to less number of mpox cases like the Philippines are expected to receive mpox vaccines in a few months (see here).

Mpox can become a lethal illness that would result in death.

But what can you do to protect yourself from mpox?

Protect yourself and the unaffected, and eliminate the mpox viruses wherever you go with just a touch! Break the chain of mpox infection with our very own GloveOn Protect!

GloveOn Protect Antimicrobial Gloves were tested by MUN Global for its virucidal efficacy against viruses such as the Human Coronavirus (Strain 229E), and Modified Vaccinia Virus (Monkeypox Virus). This is to test the reduction of the antimicrobial properties of the gloves against viruses and microbes for a longer period of time.

Results show that GloveOn Protect can reduce up to more than 99% of the said microorganisms. The data regarding its efficacy against Modified Monkeypox Virus shows its increasing effects overtime, with its efficacy starting from 91% after five minutes to 99% after thirty minutes.

With these results, they can use surrogate viruses such as COVID-19 and Vaccinia Virus to justify efficacy claims of the gloves in reducing these viruses.