With cases of Monkeypox on the rise all over the world and around 9 in India already, panic is on the rise once again. The Indian central government has come out with new guidelines, and the United States of America has already declared a public health emergency.Amidst the rising tensions, there are many aspects that people are still unaware of. One of the biggest questions that come to the minds of people is whether they should be worried. Well, should you? Is Monkeypox the next big threat after Covid?
Well, we try to answer all your questions.
According to the World Health Organization, The Monkeypox virus is transferred from animals to humans. The first case of illness that was detected in humans was in the Democratic Republic of Cong in 1970. The disease is self-limited, meaning the symptoms last usually 2 to 4 weeks in most cases. So far, the fatality is also around 3% to 6% globally.
What are the symptoms though?
Well, the WHO says the viral can be divided into 2 phases- the “Invasion Period” and the “Skin Eruption Phase.”
The invasion period lasts for around 0-5 days and results in swelling of lymph nodes, fever, head, back and muscle aches and weakness and fatigue.
1-3 days after the fever, the skin eruption phase begins. During this, rashes start appearing on the face and extremities. Rashes then develop in the oral mucous membrane and genitalia. In fact, in severe cases, rashes can cause skin to peel off.
We caught up with Dr Ishwar Gilada, the Secretary-General, Organized Medicine Academic Guild-OMAG. He believes not everyone needs to be concerned about the virus. He says, “Monkeypox is primarily seen in sexually active people between the ages 20 to 45.”
But myths and uncertainties remain. Just until a few months back, there were fears that the virus threatens homosexuals more. In fact, the WHO has said, “This is an outbreak that is concentrated among men who have sex with men, especially those with multiple sexual partners.”
Clarifying the statement, after panic and backlash, the global health body said, “The risk of monkeypox is not limited to men who have sex with men. Anyone who has close contact with someone who is infectious is at risk.”
Is Monkeypox the next Covid though?
Well, Dr Gilada says no. He says, “We have enough learnt lessons from covid, but we have learnt the wrong lessons because the pandemic is still going on and we are equating every new disease with Covid.”
