MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH) wants to involve business owners, communities, and individuals as it crafts the guidelines that would help increase public knowledge on mpox.

In an interview, Health spokesperson Albert Domingo said they aim to create guidelines that, instead of sounding too imposing, underwent consultations with stakeholders.

“We want it as soon as possible. But we don’t want to overdo it na kami lang ang gumawa,” he said.

(We want it as soon as possible. But we don’t want to overdo it that it would seem crafted without consultation.)

Among the possible guidelines is teaching those in industries, which services involve physical contact such as massage spas, on how to handle potential cases of mpox.

“For example, kapag nagmamasahe, baka pwedeng turuan natin ang ating mga therapist paano ba ma-recognize na ‘pag may nakitang problema sa balat, wag munang ituloy. Respectfully, sasabihin sa kliyente na ‘Mam, sir, baka pwedeng magpatingin muna.’ Tapos meron sigurong hotline para tumawag or saan ire-refer for testing.”

(For example, perhaps we could teach therapists on how to recognize skin problems and hold off a massage service. They can inform the client respectfully to try to have it checked. Maybe we can also have a hotline they can call to refer them for testing.)

The health official said they don’t see the need to halt such services as long as both the service providers and clients know how to properly manage risks. Aside from wearing face masks, gloves can also minimize skin-to-skin contact between both parties.

DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa, according to Domingo, plans to make the rounds in different areas like barber shops, salons, massage spas, and other establishments that involve close contact with the aim of enhancing their knowledge about the latest public health emergency.

Domingo said the planned guidelines will be holistic with measures before, during, and after an mpox infection. Testing and screening is also deemed as a critical step, with the DOH aiming to make it “convenient and dignified.”

“We got used to tests with delayed results. If testing is slow, what happens is people would not want to be tested because it is seen as a hassle. So we’re making it [as] fast and convenient as possible. So it’s testing, treatment, and prevention,” Domingo said.

While it has yet to be confirmed, Domingo said it is possible that the latest mpox patient in the country could have been infected by Clade 2 — the variant that prompted the World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency of international concern from July 2022 to May 2023.

DOH reports new mpox case with no travel history outside PH

Clade 1, which is seen to be more serious and at times even cause death among infected patients, has fueled a rise in cases in 2024 that prompted the world body to sound the highest alarm of a disease yet again.