Will Monkeypox Be The New COVID-19? Experts Say You Shouldn’t Worry (Too Much)
If you’ve been on the internet the past week or two, you’ve probably heard people talking about monkeypox. It’s the hot new virus that everyone is gossiping about.
According to recent reports, cases of monkeypox are growing at a concerning rate. Health officials may have found the first cases that involve person-to-person contact in the United States.
Four more monkeypox cases have been detected in the U.S., with one in Colorado being looked at as a ‘close contact’ of another infected person they examined the day before.
Another close contact was found in California, with someone who had been around an infected patient 3 days prior.
A total of 14 people across 8 states have been hit with the virus, which has been spreading across the world. 24 countries across the globe have seen concerning spikes in cases. The WHO has upgraded the crisis threat level to moderate.
For those who don’t know, monkeypox typically transmits from animals to humans when an infected animal bites or scratches a human. Transmission between humans is now increasing through skin-to-skin contact. Experts believe it easily spreads during intercourse.
People who contract the virus can experience a fever, headache, body aches, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes. After a few days, those ill with virus will develop a rash of raised blisters.
Now… are you ready for some good news? Most experts are not worried about this turning into another pandemic. Rosamund Lewis, who leads the smallpox secretariat of the WHO’s Emergencies Programme, had this to say:
We are not concerned of a global pandemic. We are concerned that individuals may acquire this infection through high-risk exposure if they don’t have the information they need to protect themselves. And we are concerned that because the global population is not immune to orthopoxviruses since the end of smallpox eradication, that the virus may attempt to exploit a niche and spread more easily between people. But we don’t have the answer to this question yet.
So while this virus might be worth following, you should not stress over it… AT LEAST NOT YET!!!
