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How Mpox disease ruined medic, practice and family

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Sumaya Hatungimana, 12, shows the marks on her hands after recovering from Mpox, outside her house in Kinama zone, in Bujumbura, Burundi, August 28, 2024. PHOTO/REUTERS 

"I have devoted my life for the past eight years to provide affordable healthcare to the people in my community. But I never anticipated that my dedication would one day make me a patient, too.

Odd patient

On the evening of November 28. I received a patient who was visibly ill with swollen lymph nodes around the neck and under the arms. He also had a fever, and strange rashes that covered his arms and face. Initially, I thought it was chickenpox or a severe allergic reaction. But upon a closer look, I noticed blister-like lesions on his hands and face, some of which had begun to crust over. When he explained that he worked in a crowded market, often handling goods and interacting with customers, I grew concerned. I had recently read reports of rising cases of Mpox in urban areas, and his symptoms matched the descriptions. The viral disease presents with rash and other symptoms that include flulike illnesses such as fever, headache, and malaise. . I had taken every precaution by wearing gloves, a mask, and thoroughly sanitizing the examination room afterwards. Nevertheless, as a healthcare provider, one cannot avoid close contact with patients. At the time, I thought I had done enough to protect myself, and prescribed medication to ease his symptom. I also advised him to isolate as he waited for results of the tests from the health center IV where I had referred him.

My own battle

A week later, I started feeling unusually fatigued, but I dismissed it and pegged my tiredness to my long hours of work and the stress of managing an increase in patient numbers. But the following day, I woke up with a splitting headache and a fever that refused to recede. My joints ached, and my body felt heavier. Still, I tried to push through, telling myself it was nothing serious. By the third day, I felt burning sensationin my chest and arms, and I could no longer ignore the warning signs. Upon checking myself in the mirror, I saw some rashes starting to form with tiny red spots that grew more pronounced by the hour. My heart sank as I realized I was developing the very symptoms I had seen on my patient. Within days, blisters appeared on my face, arms, and groin area. They were painful, itchy, and made simple movements agonising. I had no choice but to close my clinic and isolate myself. It was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. My patients rely on me for care, and I felt like I was abandoning them. 

My isolation

My clinic assistant arranged for my transfer to Entebbe Grade B Hospital isolation centre. Those two weeks in isolation were some of the toughest days of my life, leaving me in constant pain. The fever persisted, making it difficult to eat or rest. Even worse was my loneliness as I remained confined to a room with limited contact. My only outside contact was by phone calls to my family for money to be sent via mobile money to buy drugs and calamine, the lotion that treats mild skin irritations, itching, pain, and discomfort.

Discharge and trauma

When I was finally cleared to leave isolation, I felt a wave of relief but returning home brought its own set of challenges. My face and arms were covered with scars from the blisters, and the stigma I faced was immediate. I was advised by the health workers to do a home quarantine for at least two weeks to cut out any chances of spreading the contagious disease. But rebuilding my life and my practice proved even a tougher battle. My former patients hesitated to visit the clinic while others shunned it altogether. They feared catching the viral disease. Mpox also tested me in ways I never imagined – physically, emotionally, and professionally. Within the two weeks of my isolation at Entebbe, my wife felt burdened and abandoned our home with our two children. She left only a message with my sister and it traumatised me. Nevertheless, I reopened the clinic with stricter hygiene protocols, ensuring we took every precaution to protect ourselves and our patients. We also educated everyone about the key aspects of the disease.’’ 

MPOX INFECTIONS

A report from the Mpox response team as of January 8, on the cumulative Mpox infections across 71 districts in the 166 days since the viral disease outbreak, shows Kampala Metropolitan Area as the most affected with 1,095 cases. This represents more than 60 percent of the total cases in the country. Kampala City alone had 808 cases with one death, Wakiso District followed with 246 cases, with Mukono recording 41 cases. Outside the Kampala Metropolitan Area, Nakasongola District had the highest number of cases at 77, followed by Mbarara City with 44 cases, and Hoima City registering 13 cases.