Reports of an unfamiliar disease affecting more people under the name monkeypox are reminiscent of the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak when the world did not expect the pandemic to cause widespread tragedy resulting in millions of deaths. So far, about 80 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed, with another 50 cases under investigation in 11 countries.
However, the truth is that monkeypox is fundamentally different from the coronavirus, and thus our concerns should be addressed: first, it is not a new disease like COVID-19 but a condition known to the scientific community for many years; second, it spreads differently, according to a report from the health website healthy.walla.
What is Monkeypox and How Does it Spread?
Monkeypox is a viral disease belonging to a family of diseases characterized by the appearance of pustules on the skin. The disease is transmitted between humans through direct contact with an infected person or through respiratory droplets, but the virus does not spread through the air. Dr. Martin Hirsch from Massachusetts General Hospital told Reuters, "COVID-19 spreads through respiration and is highly contagious. This does not seem to be the case with monkeypox."
Dr. Erez Gerty from the Davidson Institute of Science Education stated that "the virus is transmitted through bodily fluids, especially saliva, in larger droplets released into the air." Scientists suspect that many of the diagnosed cases of monkeypox are among men who have sex with men, including cases in Spain within sauna rooms in the Madrid area.
How Does the Virus Affect the Body?
Dr. Gerty explains that "the virus attacks immune system cells and after an incubation period of a few days, pustules appear on the skin along with fever, chills, headaches, and other inflammatory symptoms." The disease’s symptoms remind us of smallpox, which was eradicated in the late 1970s. However, despite the familial similarity between the two diseases, monkeypox is considered to be much less deadly.
"While there are findings indicating a high fatality rate resulting from monkeypox infection, which can reach 10% for the most severe type in Africa, it is challenging to determine how serious it is in countries with advanced healthcare, but it is likely much lower," according to Dr. Gerty.
How Can You Protect Yourself from Monkeypox?
Monkeypox has been known in the scientific community for many years; therefore, there is already a vaccine for it, although it has not been used in recent years. Dr. Gerty explains, "Studies conducted at the end of the last century showed that the smallpox vaccine was also effective against other viruses in the same family, including monkeypox." In the past, this was one of the routine vaccines given to children worldwide. Today, the vaccine is no longer administered in many countries as it is no longer needed.
However, the protection provided by the vaccine against infection wanes within a few years, and thus, populations that were vaccinated in the past and those born after the eradication of smallpox are unprotected. In the UK, vaccination has already begun for healthcare workers who may be at risk while treating patients with the smallpox vaccine. The United States government announced that it has enough smallpox vaccines stored in its strategic national stockpile to vaccinate all its citizens. Additionally, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health said that antiviral drugs for smallpox can also be used to treat monkeypox under certain conditions.
Of course, the best action is to avoid close contact with someone who has a rash or is sick. Individuals who suspect they have monkeypox—of any type—should isolate themselves and seek medical attention.
Is There a Cause for Concern?
Dr. Gerty states, "Currently, there is no real reason for concern. The number of identified patients so far is very low—only a few dozen patients or suspected cases across Europe and North America. It is likely that now that active monitoring of the disease has begun, more cases will be discovered." He added, "According to one hypothesis, the timing of the outbreak is linked to the resumption of global tourism after removing COVID-19 restrictions in most countries."
He emphasized that "the symptoms of the disease are very noticeable, especially the pustules that characterize it, so unlike diseases like COVID-19, it is easier to identify someone who has contracted the disease and isolate them." However, he cautioned that "the discovery of patients in several countries at the same time may indicate, in the very pessimistic scenario, an alteration in the virus and an enhancement of its ability to transmit from person to person, thereby posing a risk of infection outbreaks among humans and potential underlying morbidity in the population."
