This article was written by Tanya Avadia and Karen Gong.
Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic and many can agree that another worldwide health crisis is not something they want to experience. However, even with mask mandates being lifted and people returning to some degree of normality, there is another public health situation that needs attention: monkeypox.
A few months earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the recent monkeypox outbreak to be a global health emergency. Curtailing this new virus can only be done if people learn about and practice the correct health and safety procedures as directed by organizations such as WHO or the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
Firstly, it is important to understand what the monkeypox virus is. Monkeypox is not a new virus by any means; it has existed since the mid-1900s and is in the same family pool of viruses as the now eradicated smallpox virus. Unlike smallpox, monkeypox is not as fatal but the overall symptoms are similar. Symptoms of monkeypox include a severe rash with bumps, fever, chills, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. This is very different from the symptoms of the coronavirus as monkeypox is primarily denoted by firm bumps caused due to a severe rash. However, there are many similarities between what one should do if they contact either virus. Self-isolating and consulting a healthcare professional are things that should be exercised in both cases. Additionally for monkeypox, it is important to cover blisters and skin lesions. The CDC states that there are no treatments explicitly for monkeypox but antiviral drugs can help. Fortunately, monkeypox itself is not very fatal and recovery usually takes about 2-4 weeks.
Outside of just the health risks of monkeypox, there are many other implications of this disease. According to the CDC’s Monkeypox Tracker Global Map, there have been over 50,000 cases of monkeypox around the world. Many of the cases have occurred in countries where monkeypox has not been historically reported. Since the virus was originally found in Africa specifically in regions with rainforests, and transmissible through animals, the monkeypox outbreak needs to be taken seriously as it was not as widespread in the past as it is now. Many early reports of monkeypox in countries where it never existed before had a hard time diagnosing those who were infected. “No one could imagine a case of monkeypox,” says João Paulo Gomes at Portugal’s National Institute of Health for an article by Science Magazine.
Another implication of the spread of this disease is in regards to the demographic of people being affected by the virus the most: men who have sex with men (MSM). It is difficult to understand why monkeypox is mostly infecting MSM but it is crucial to point out that it can occur to anyone who has had close contact with the virus. The stigma surrounding this issue can lead to hesitancy on the part of people reporting that they have been infected. This could worsen the conditions of those infected and prevent them from getting necessary help.
Health complications of the ongoing monkeypox outbreak cannot be ignored by any means. Hence, why it is important to learn about ways to prevent an outbreak and should there be an outbreak, what to look for and how to possibly treat it. The risks of reporting a case of monkeypox could be faced with an unjust stigma. For all of these reasons and more, it is necessary that proper forms of communication and education occur between disease specialists and people so that everyone is well informed and welcomed into getting treated for monkeypox.
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