Advertisement. Advertise with us

Column by Richard Sternberg

Monkeypox Outbreak Worldwide

As of today, there been more than 5,200 cases of monkeypox confirmed in the United States. Over 1,300 of those cases have been in New York State, the majority of these in the New York City area. The monkeypox outbreak worldwide continues to increase, and last week the World Health Organization declared it a public health emergency of international concern. There needs to be an internationaly coordinated response to try to control this viral disease.

In order to prevent the disease from spreading further, there needs to be more testing, access to vaccines, and treatments along with other public health efforts. Unfortunately, much of this is not in place, and messaging to the public is not always been clear. The coordination, for what it’s worth, seen in the fight against monkeypox, is nowhere near that as seen in the global fight against COVID. Information about who was at risk and access to care is not always been clear. It is difficult to find testing. Vaccine distribution is irregular. Other treatment options are unclear.

Furthermore, symptoms vary. Some people will have pustules over their body others not. Some may have only limited lesions in the genital area which can be interpreted as other sexually transmitted diseases. Also testing requires fluid filled lesions. There is no blood test for this. Some patients will have traditional fever and aches; others not.

Monkeypox is primarily transmitted by direct contact with the fluid in the pustule either through a break in the skin or across a mucous membrane such as the lining of the mouth or genital or gastrointestinal tract. While health officials say the disease is primarily spread sexually, mostly through intercourse between men, in my opinion this is misleading and an unfair categorization just like the comments in the early days of AIDS forty years ago. Male-to-female and female-to-male should be just as likely to be contagious. Any sexual contact carries the risk of spread. Remember mucous membrane to mucous membrane. On the other hand, it is fair to say that any person with multiple partners regardless of their orientation increases the risk of catching and spreading it.

Prevention is critical and safe sex will be the primary way of doing this. This is a situation when being in a monogamous relationship is especially important.

There are two vaccines which were developed for smallpox that have been kept stockpiled in the United States, but supply and distribution is tightly controlled by the federal government and requires special applications. According to the CDC the criteria for eligibility is:

• People who have been identified by public health officials as a contact of someone with monkeypox

• People who are aware that one of their sexual partners in the past 2 weeks has been diagnosed with monkeypox

• People who had multiple sexual partners in the past 2 weeks in an area with known monkeypox

• People whose jobs may expose them to orthopoxviruses, such as:
— Laboratory workers who perform testing for orthopox viruses
— Laboratory workers who handle cultures or animals with orthopoxviruses
— Some designated healthcare or public health workers

The vaccine which requires two doses four weeks apart, can prevent the disease as long as it is given within four days of exposure and ameliorate the symptoms if given up to two weeks after exposure. It is thought that one dose has some protective value. Appointments should be scheduled through your local or state health department.

There is no home testing for monkeypox. If one has symptoms or known sexual contact with someone with the disease you should contact your health care provider or public health office. The test requires a lesion to swab.

Generally, treatment consists of managing symptoms. Some antivirals are recommended for people with a full body rash or high risk for complications. Monkeypox, like the other viral pox diseases, remains transmissible until all the lesions have crusted over and the scab has dropped with a fresh layer of health skin present.

This should be more manageable than COVID but still requires careful preventative measures.

Posted

4 Comments

  1. Does the monkey pox vaccine prevent the disease, or is it like the Covid vaccine, just makes symptoms less severe?

  2. Does the monkey pox vaccine prevent the disease, or is it like the Covid vaccine, just makes symptoms less severe?

  3. Thanks for spreading clear and accurate information. It’s the first step to keeping the spread of the disease contained.

  4. Thanks for spreading clear and accurate information. It’s the first step to keeping the spread of the disease contained.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Related Articles

New terms begin in Cooperstown

Mayor looking past pandemic as she starts new term Village of Cooperstown Trustees Dr. Richard Sternberg, left, and Sydney Sheehan, right, flank Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh after the three took their oaths of office for their new terms. Village of Cooperstown Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh this month embarks on her third two-year term leading the village, hopeful COVID’s worst is behind but proud of the work she, the Village Board of Trustees, and Village employees were able to continue throughout the pandemic’s worst months. “Only now in retrospect are we seeing how all-consuming COVID management was for every person in this village,”…

Hey hey we’re the Monkeypox

Hey, hey — we’re the Monkeypox Commentary by Ted Potrikus Full disclosure: I’m finding it challenging to give any gravity to something called “monkeypox.” It sounds like a vintage video game, like “Donkey Kong,” and I half-expect the symptoms to include an uncontrollable urge for a banana. I don’t want to think about monkeys being anything that carry a nasty Pox that apparently can do some pretty ugly damage to those who contract it. Says the Associated Press: “Monkeypox typically begins with a flu-like illness and swelling of the lymph nodes, followed by a rash on the face and body.…

Grayish Black Friday Sign of 2020 Season

Grayish Black Friday Sign of 2020 Season By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com For Oneonta’s Bonnie Johnson, this year’s Black Friday gave her the opportunity to try something she hadn’t in years past. “It was nice to sleep in!” she said as she browsed shoes the day after Thanksgiving at JC Penney. “Usually I have to get up early.” Mindful of masks and social distancing, shoppers nonetheless flocked to the Southside Mall on Friday, Nov. 27, although it was a somewhat smaller flock. “Shoppers are apprehensive about travel, so they’re staying local,” said Luisa Montanti, mall manager. “Store managers…

Putting the Community Back Into the Newspaper

Now through March 30, new annual subscribers to “The Freeman’s Journal” and AllOtsego.com (or subscribers who have lapsed for two or more years) have an opportunity to help their choice of one of four Otsego County charitable organizations.

$5.00 of your subscription will be donated to the nonprofit of your choice:

Cooperstown Farmers’ Market, Cooperstown Food Pantry, Greater Oneonta Historical Society or Super Heroes Humane Society.