Monkeypox will not be practically as contagious as COVID and is “not going to spread like wildfire,” infectious illness specialists inform the Herald as well being officers examine a gaggle of uncommon monkeypox clusters and the primary U.S. case this yr, recognized in Massachusetts.
Because monkeypox is attributable to a virus in the identical household as smallpox, the smallpox vaccine can shield folks from getting monkeypox, mentioned William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University infectious illnesses skilled.
Epidemiologists additionally imagine that vaccination after a monkeypox publicity might assist stop the illness or make it much less extreme.
“The smallpox vaccine does provide some degree of protection, or it can modify the illness to make it less severe,” Schaffner mentioned.
He added that it takes very shut contact to unfold monkeypox.
“Comparing the transmission with COVID, it’s nothing, nothing like that,” he mentioned. “This is not going to spread like wildfire.”
The Massachusetts man who examined optimistic for the doubtless severe viral sickness had not too long ago traveled to Canada, the place well being officers are investigating 17 circumstances.
The man was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital on May 12, and is being remoted within the hospital’s Special Pathogens Program.
Monkeypox sometimes begins with flu-like sickness and swelling of the lymph nodes, and progresses to a rash on the face and physique. Most infections final two to 4 weeks.
The virus doesn’t unfold simply between folks. Transmission can happen by means of contact with physique fluids, monkeypox sores, objects which have been contaminated with fluids or sores (clothes, bedding, and so forth.), or by means of respiratory droplets following extended face-to-face contact.
“While this might create some discomfort for the person who contracted it, it is not transmissible the way COVID is,” Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker mentioned at a Thursday press convention.
The CDC can also be monitoring clusters which have been reported in a number of nations that don’t usually report monkeypox, together with the U.Okay., Portugal, and Spain.
There’s an outbreak of 17 circumstances within the Montreal area.
“We do not have to panic,” Montreal Public Health Director Mylene Drouin mentioned at a press convention, including, “It’s not something that you can acquire when you do your groceries or on public transportation.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com”