Monkeypox patients can isolate and recover at home starting Aug 22, says MOH

SINGAPORE - People who have monkeypox can recover at home from next Monday (Aug 22).

This is provided that they are assessed to be clinically stable by a doctor and their place of residence is suitable for home recovery, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Friday (Aug 19).

Currently, all confirmed cases assessed by public hospitals to be clinically stable recover with telemedicine support at a monkeypox isolation facility.

MOH said that those assessed to be at higher risk of complications will continue to be managed in hospitals.

All confirmed cases will be issued an isolation order and are required under the Infectious Diseases Act to remain isolated until they are medically assessed to be non-infectious, MOH said.

The ministry added that local and international data shows that monkeypox is typically a mild and self-limiting illness where the majority of patients recover within two to four weeks without requiring hospitalisation.

"As the transmission of monkeypox requires close physical or prolonged contact, including face-to-face and skin-to-skin contact such as sexual contact, the risk to the general public remains low," it said.

READ ALSO: Monkeypox FAQ: Does it only spread through sex? Is household transmission possible?

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.