Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) has been declared a global epidemic, Public Health Because this is an emergency, some question whether the virus poses the risk of a COVID-like pandemic.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Occurrence of mpox In light of the rapid increase in infections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and several African countries, the United Nations designated it a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” on August 14.
As of August 17, 545 cases of MPOX have been reported since the outbreak was declared, of which 474 have been confirmed, according to WHO data.
As MPOX becomes a public health emergency in Africa, what you need to know about the increased viral risk
Symptoms sometimes include Painful rash According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), symptoms may include fever, chills, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and respiratory symptoms in various parts of the body.
There are two types of mpox: Clade 1 and Clade 2.
On August 14, the World Health Organization officially declared the MPOX outbreak a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.” (iStock)
Clade 2 is the strain responsible for 2022 Global outbreakThe CDC noted that the survival rate for this type is over 99.9%.
Lineage 1, which is currently emerging in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Africa, causes more severe illness and death.
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“Although mortality rates have declined in recent outbreaks, some outbreaks have killed nearly 10% of those infected,” the CDC noted.
“The emergence of the new MPOX lineage, its rapid spread in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and reported cases in several neighbouring countries are extremely worrying,” WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in announcing the public health emergency.
“You can’t catch MPOX just because you’re on the same bus or bump into someone at the grocery store.”
“With the continued emergence of other MPOX lineages in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other African countries, it is clear that a coordinated international response is needed. Stop these occurrences And it saves lives.”
Is mpox the next COVID?
Health officials have expressed concern about the spread of new strains of the deadly virus, but the consensus is that MPOX is unlikely to become an epidemic. A pandemic like COVID — Mainly because it doesn’t spread in the same way.
“Of course not,” Dr. Daniel Kritskes, chief of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said in a conversation with Fox News Digital.
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“COVID-19 has become so contagious because Respiratory viruses Because it spreads by aerosols, even casual contact, such as being in the same room as someone for any length of time, can lead to infection. [the virus]”From that person.”
Another difference, Kuritzkes noted, is that COVID-19 is contagious for about a day before symptoms appear.
Symptoms of mpox include a painful rash that appears on different parts of the body, fever, chills, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and respiratory symptoms. (iStock)
“In contrast, MPOX almost always requires close contact (skin-to-skin contact) for infection,” he said.
“Although it is possible, in rare cases, that highly contaminated materials such as bedding can cause infection, you cannot catch MPOX just by riding the same bus or randomly meeting someone at the grocery store.”
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Kritskes said MPOX is much less contagious than COVID, but could cause “widespread epidemics” through sexual contact.
“HIV is now a pandemic (confirmed in every country in the world), but although it is prevalent, it is not transmitted through casual contact,” he said. “The same is true for MPOX.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccination to prevent MPOX infection for men 18 years of age or older who are gay, bisexual, or have sex with men and who have other specific risk factors. (Pascal Guyot/AFP via Getty Images)
Senior Healthcare Analyst for Fox News NYU Langone Medical Centerreiterated that mpox is “not a new COVID.”
“It’s transmitted by direct contact, by sex, by kissing, by respiratory droplets in very close proximity, but long-distance transmission does not occur through the respiratory tract,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“Lineage 1 is currently present in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring African countries,” Siegel said.
“The United States has stepped up monitoring, including wastewater analysis, [of Clade 1] I haven’t found it here yet.”
This undated image provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases shows a colorized transmission electron micrograph of mpox particles (red) found within infected cells (blue) cultured in a laboratory at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility in Fort Detrick, Maryland. (NIAID via The Associated Press, File)
Dr. Brad Perkins, chief medical officer at Carius, a California life sciences company focused on saving lives from infectious diseases, reiterated that MPOX is “much less transmissible” from person to person than COVID-19.
“MPOX spreads primarily from person to person, usually through direct contact including intimate contact, but on average, the number of people who become infected through contact with an MPOX patient is small compared to COVID-19,” he told Fox News Digital.
Who is most at risk?
“While anyone can be infected with MPOX, it disproportionately affects men who have sex with men. Burden of disease “This trend is particularly pronounced among black and Hispanic men,” Perkins said.
“This highlights the importance of early recognition and diagnosis, as well as awareness and targeted vaccination of those most at risk.”
“Anyone can be infected with MPOX, but data shows that men who have sex with men are disproportionately affected.”
As with other viral infections, people with weakened immune systems and young children are at highest risk for severe infection, Kritskes said.
“For mpox, the main concern is People with HIV infection “Currently, some people are not receiving effective antiretroviral therapy,” he added.
Patients wait outside an examination room at an MPOX treatment center in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Aug. 16, 2024. Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said in a video message that the country has “recorded 15,664 potential cases and 548 deaths since the start of the year,” with all 26 provinces affected. (Getty Images)
Perkins warned that survivors could face long-term effects and complications even after they have cleared the infection.
“Reported symptoms include vision loss, encephalitis and scarring,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Further research is needed to characterize and address these long-term sequelae.”
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To prevent the spread of mpox, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vaccination is recommended For men aged 18 and over who are gay, bisexual, or have sex with men and who face other specific risk factors.
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These risks include new diagnoses. Sexually transmitted diseases A history of multiple recent sexual encounters.
“The second, and most obvious, is to avoid close contact with people who have MPOX disease,” Kritskes said.
A doctor takes a sample from a patient at an MPOX treatment center in the Democratic Republic of Congo on August 16, 2024. (Getty Images)
“A major challenge is getting vaccines to those who need them in Central and West Africa to end the current epidemic.”
Siegel noted that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has sent 50,000 doses of the JYNNEOS mpox vaccine to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, “but this vaccine remains in global shortage and will be critical to stopping the spread of infection, especially if there is an outbreak.”
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In addition to the current vaccines, Antiviral treatment Perkins emphasized that while currently available treatments are limited, there is a need for new innovations in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of MPOX.
