Amiran Gamkrelidze explains Monkeypox outbreak in Georgia and where the country stands in this new outbreak
By Liza Mchedlidze
Monday, July 25, 2022
According to the head of the National Center for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze, as soon as the first few cases of monkeypox were detected in different countries, relevant preliminary works were carried out in Georgia to prevent its outbreak.
“Since May, we have had 10 suspected cases of monkeypox, 9 of which were not confirmed by the laboratory, and one case was confirmed and the patient has already been discharged and is feeling well,” said Amiran Gamkrelidze.
According to him, new recommendations will be published on Monday and Georgia will act according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization.
Gamkrelidze also explained how Monkeypox is not similar to the Covid pandemic, saying:
“The WHO has not declared an emergency. The organization's director, Tedros Ghebreyesus, has declared a public health emergency of international concern as cases of monkeypox is on the rise. This is the first time for this disease that such a number has been recorded. He explained that this is not a pandemic, it is a concentrated epidemic in a certain group of people and groups, mostly in men, and the speed of spread is not the same as we have in the conditions of the covid pandemic, but it is necessary to be prepared in the countries and he called on the countries to be prepared.”
Gamkrelidze told the media that Monkeypox is not as widespread as other respiratory diseases and that there is no reason to panic, but the mode of being prepared and raising public awareness is the best way to prevention.
He also spoke about where Georgia stands in this new epidemic:
“The countries were divided into four groups, we are in the first group, meaning the countries in the first group are countries where monkeypox has not yet been reported, or there was monkeypox and no new cases were registered in the last 21 days. We had one confirmed case. When cases were first reported in different countries, we did appropriate preliminary work. We have strengthened the surveillance of diseases with a rash. In Lugar, we have a laboratory facility as a means of PCR test, and we can make a diagnosis through genome research,” said the Head of National Center for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze.
