By Janice Li
On July 23rd, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Monkeypox a worldwide public health emergency. Unlike Covid-19, the Monkeypox virus is not new. Monkeypox belongs to the same virus family as Smallpox, though it causes milder symptoms. Monkeypox was first discovered by scientists in 1958 in captive monkeys. Moreover, the first case of Monkeypox was in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Due to the successful battle against Smallpox in 1980, health officials know how to combat Monkeypox.
WHO data reveals that over 16,000 Monkeypox cases have been reported across more than 70 countries so far, and the number of confirmed infections increased by 77 percent from late June to early July. In Africa, there were five deaths related to Monkeypox this year. However, no deaths have been reported elsewhere. Europe is currently the global epicenter for the outbreak, accounting for more than 80 percent of all confirmed infections globally this year. More than 3,500 cases of Monkeypox have been reported in 46 states so far in the U.S. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the majority of individuals recover from this virus in two to four weeks. It’s still unknown if the virus can spread when individuals are infected but do not exhibit symptoms.
Monkeypox causes rashes to develop that further spread across the body. The virus appears to look similar to a rash, which looks like blisters or pimples. When the rash appears, patients with this symptom are the most infectious. Patients may have a fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, or swollen lymph nodes as symptoms. The symptoms start with an all-over feeling of being ill, then fever and muscle aches develop, and finally, the lymph nodes get swollen, and a couple of days later, a rash appears. It may begin on the face and spread around the body. However, if it were sexually transmitted, it may develop in the genital or anal areas.
This virus does not spread through small aerosol particles; rather it spreads through respiratory droplets, which do not stay airborne for a long time, in contrast to COVID. Monkeypox is transmissible through contact with contaminated objects such as bed sheets or clothing. Monkeypox can also be spread through close skin-to-skin contact, sexual contact with an infected individual, or contact with contaminated materials. Anyone can contract Monkeypox if they come into close contact with someone who has Monkeypox. However, members of the LGBTQ community are disproportionally affected by the virus as 98 percent of all Monkeypox cases are from men who had sex with other men, according to the CDC.
Those at high risk of infection and those exposed to the virus are advised to get the vaccine. The CDC announced ACAM200, an older generation Smallpox vaccine that has over 100 million doses in the U.S and is likely effective in preventing Monkeypox. However, this vaccine may have serious side effects for those with weak immune systems. According to the Biden administration, the U.S has shipped more than 300,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine to local and state health agencies since May. Furthermore, 5 million extra doses have been secured by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the U.S, and will be delivered through the middle of 2023.
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