The Berlin Charité sees itself prepared for the care of monkeypox infections – especially for patients who are to be observed in quarantine to find out more about the course of the disease. If there are corresponding recommendations from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the Charité special isolation station is immediately ready for use according to information from the Tagesspiegel.

“The station has a special ventilation and negative pressure system and has a capacity for up to 20 patients,” said a Charité spokesman. Exercise regularly to be prepared for emergencies.

“Special blower protective suits are available for the staff, which only let in filtered air and prevent direct contact with pathogens.” Life-threatening infections such as Ebola, pneumonic plague or Sars were treated at this station on the Virchow campus in Wedding.

In addition to patient rooms and the operating room, there is a laboratory on the ward. The Charité is Berlin’s state-owned university clinic and operates the largest special isolation ward in Germany. The Charité usually also accepts patients from other federal states, for example during the corona pandemic.

The Charité doctors are currently not treating monkeypox patients. So far, three cases of infection are known in Berlin, one of the patients was treated in a Tempelhof clinic. All three are now said to be in quarantine at home.

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) is said to be presenting recommendations for measures to deal with monkeypox this Tuesday. Lauterbach draws on the expertise of the responsible, federal RKI. The Berlin Senate is also speaking about the infectious disease this Tuesday.

In Belgium and Great Britain, people affected by monkeypox should be quarantined for three weeks. The British health authority also recommends this for “close contacts” of the infected, according to which all those who have had sex with infected people, live with them in an apartment or changed their bed linen without protective clothing.

In addition to quarantine, these people should receive a classic smallpox vaccination. Children, pregnant women and the seriously ill should avoid contact with infected people.