Do this if you have mpox

Prevent infecting others

To prevent infecting others with the mpox virus, you have to:

1. Stay home for as long as you have a fever
2. Cover all scabs with clothing or bandages when you leave the house
3. Do not touch other people and do not have sex until you are completely cured
4. Do not touch your scabs and wash your hands regularly
5. Do not share your bedsheets, towels or sex toys with others

Only when all scabs have fallen off and new skin has appeared, you are completely cured. This usually takes 2 to 3 weeks.

As a precaution, use condoms for 5 weeks after your symptoms started. The mpox virus remains active in sperm and it is not yet clear for how long it will remain infectuous.

Inform your sexpartners

If you have mpox, it is important that the GGD can get in touch with the people with whom you have had sex in the past 3 weeks. And with the people with whom you have had other kinds of intense contact.

So make sure you have your sexpartners phone numbers and give these to the GGD. They will call your partners. If you want, they will not tell them your name. If necessary, your partners can get tested for mpox or they may be offered a vaccination.

Do you not have their phone number, but you do have other contact info such as an Instagram profile? Then ask them for their phone numbers via that platform. You can let them know its about mpox and ask them if they want the GGD to contact them. Most people appreciate it when they get notified they have run a risk. 

Ease pain and itching

Most people have only mild complaints. But some people get really sick or are in a lot of pain. These complaints will get less severe with time. There are a few things you can do to ease the pain and the itching from mpox.

Itchy blisters

Blisters will heal the fastest when you do not touch them. Do not scratch them! Wash your hands often with water and soap and cut your nails short. In this way you will reduce the chance of inflammation when you touch the blisters by accident.

This helps against the itchyness:

• Rinse with lukewarm water. Use the shower head with a soft jet for this
• Spread a thin layer of zinc ointment on the blisters. You can buy this at the drug store

Soak in a bath

You can also ease the pain and itchyness by soaking in one of the following baths. For example when you have a painfull butt. Never use the bath water INSIDE your butt! Soak no longer than 15 minutes per bath and use a clean towel to pat yourself dry.

• 5 teaspoons of salt per liter of lukewarm water. Sitting in such a bath is often mentioned as a painkiller for people who have rectal inflammation from monkeypox
• 1 tablespoon of pure soda per liter lukewarm water. This should also ease the pain
• Oatmeal. Put some oatmeal in a teabag or a cotton bag and let it steep for a while. Helps against itchyness

Please note: there is no scientific evidence for the effect of these baths. But people do say that it helps them. So try it if you have a lot of complaints. 

Inflammations 

The blisters could get inflamed: the skin around them will become very red, thick and warm, it will hurt more or it will ooze a lot of pus. If this happens, call your doctor. Often they will ask for a picture of the inflamed blisters. 

You can get antibiotics against the inflammation. This will only help against the inflammation, not against mpox itself.

Flu-like fealing

If you have flu-like symptoms, it is important to listen to your body and take it easy. Your body needs time to heal and to kill the virus. There is no medication available at the drugstore or your GP that can help with this. Drink plenty of water and eat healthy to speed up your healing. Fever will usually only take a few days.

Call your GP:

• When you have trouble breathing or if you are breathing really fast, even when you are sitting down
• When you have a high fever or get really drowsy

Painkillers

Some people have a lot of pain, especially in their butt.

You can use mild painkillers you can buy at the drugstore. Take these every 6 hours. Check the prescription.

Are these painkillers not doing enough? Call your GP. They can prescribe heavier painkillers. You can usually battle the pain with this at home. In very rare cases, hospitalization may be necessary.

If you have rectal inflammation from mpox, pooping can be very painful. People who suffered from this report that a sniff of poppers provided relief.