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OVERLOOK

Sarah Morra | September 25, 2022

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Monkeypox is caused by the monkeypox virus, which is a viral zoonotic infection, meaning it can spread from animals to humans. Close contact is the main reason for the spread. Monkeypox is not a newly founded virus, the first recorded case was in 1958. Though, cases have been heightened since around July 2022. In addition to its unusual spike in cases, the virus is spreading in countries and places that it typically hadn’t spread before. It is shown that preventative measures such as the 3 existing vaccines made to work against monkeypox, despite limited resources, To aid in putting the spread to a halt, make sure to maintain exceptional hygiene. Thus, it is best to protect yourself and those around you by taking whatever measures necessary! 

ANALYSIS

Victoria Su & Agustina Garibotti| September 25, 2022

The recent outbreak of monkeypox threatens the advancements made to improve the health crisis posed by COVID-19 in the past two years. As reported by specialists, monkeypox is not easily transmitted, but it still presents challenges that need to be contained for society to thrive. Although the definition of the viral disease varies from country to country, it has brought international attention as well as misinformation, with citizens desperately seeking reassurance about the current situation.

This disease that has previously only sporadically affected some African countries is now quickly spreading to other countries affecting more and more people(especially men– 99%). Although scientists have previous research, vaccines, and treatments for this disease, the virus is causing symptoms that differ from those observed in African populations. It has been shown that the average person is not at high risk of developing monkeypox. Research has shown that monkeypox can spread through respiratory droplets, close contact of skin lesions, and other contaminated surfaces. Most infections have occurred in the gay and bisexual men population and those who have come into intimate contact. The 2 doses of vaccine are to be registered 4 weeks apart. There are some constraints around the shipment and distribution of the vaccine and are mostly reserved for health care workers who have come into close contact with the virus or other high risk populations. TPOXX, a drug that was approved by the F.D.A to treat monkeypox symptoms. However, the drug was not approved to treat monkeypox specifically and although it exists in abundance, has been rather difficult to acquire. 

The W.H.O. declared it a Global Health Emergency and it should be treated as such. During the past two years, COVID-19 took over the internet, television, and newspapers. Human interaction changed and we incorporated new perspectives towards health and science issues. This directly impacted people’s perceptions on monkeypox once it began to spread, including the dismissal of such virus as well as an exaggeration of its possible significance. Social media continues to be a major influence over the unrest since people employ this tool as an outlet to both spread and believe misinformation. Of course, we cannot blame our human nature for automatic stipulations, but we can choose to inform ourselves about the situation. For the relief of some people, doctors share a sense of familiarity with the virus, and the relatively slow spreading supports the idea that monkeypox is not going to affect anybody for solely interacting with an infected person.

To this day, there are a total of 52,090 global cases, 19,465 of which were reported from the United States. Although the impact of monkeypox varies from country to country, it mainly affects developing countries, where the outbreak is larger and not everyone has access to health services. Accessing vaccines and medical treatments is a privilege when it comes to dealing with monkeypox and people should be aware of these advantages. 

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