Monkeypox Is A Global Concern!

Monkeypox getting worse.

We are close to another global pandemic. The World Health Organization has announced that monkeypox is a global concern which is one step from a declaration of a pandemic.

The U.S is leading in cases of monkeypox. Of course, conservatives are scapegoating and leftists are demanding President Joe Biden do something about it.

The disease originated in Nigeria when a man traveled to England. It became a spread soon after.

The outbreak marked the first time monkeypox has spread widely outside Central and West Africa. From May 2022 and onwards, cases were reported from an increasing number of countries and regions, predominantly in Europe but also in North and South America, Asia, Africa, and Australia. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), raising the status of the outbreak to a global health emergency. 

There were a total of 18,597 confirmed cases. About 97% of cases outside of endemic regions in Africa have occurred in the community of men who have sex with men, especially those who have multiple sex partners.

Monkeypox is a viral infection that manifests a week or two after exposure with fever and other non-specific symptoms, and then produces a rash with lesions that usually last for 2-4 weeks before drying up, crusting and falling off. While monkeypox can cause large numbers of lesions, in the current outbreak, some patients experience only a single lesion in the mouth or on the genitals, making it more difficult to differentiate from other infections. In infections before the current outbreak, 1–3 percent of people with known infections have died (without treatment). Cases in children are more likely to be severe, and health authorities emphasized that anyone can catch the disease, particularly if they have close contact with a symptomatic person. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has emphasized the importance of reducing stigma in communicating about the demographic aspects of monkeypox, specifically with regards to gay and bisexual men.

Monkeypox is an infectious viral disease that can occur in humans and some animals. Symptoms include fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that forms blisters and then crusts over. The time from exposure to onset of symptoms ranges from five to twenty-one days. The duration of symptoms is typically two to four weeks. There may be mild symptoms, and it may occur without any symptoms being known. The classic presentation of fever and muscle pains, followed by swollen glands, with lesions all at the same stage, has not been found to be common to all outbreaks. Cases may be severe, especially in children, pregnant women or people with suppressed immune systems.

It is spreading. The Sun Belt and Rust Belt are where the cases are increasing.

The disease is caused by the monkeypox virus, a zoonotic virus in the genus Orthopoxvirus. The variola virus, the causative agent of smallpox, is also in this genus. Of the two types in humans, the West African type causes a less severe disease than the Central African (Congo basin) type. It may spread from infected animals by handling infected meat or via bites or scratches. Human-to-human transmission can occur through exposure to infected body fluids or contaminated objects, by small droplets, and possibly through the airborne route. People can spread the virus from the onset of symptoms until all the lesions have scabbed and fallen off; with some evidence of spread for more than a week after lesions have crusted. Diagnosis can be confirmed by testing a lesion for the virus's DNA.

There is no known cure. A study in 1988 found that the smallpox vaccine was around 85% protective in preventing infection in close contacts and in lessening the severity of the disease. A newer smallpox and monkeypox vaccine based on modified vaccinia Ankara has been approved, but with limited availability. Other measures include regular hand washing and avoiding sick people and other animals. Antiviral drugs, cidofovir and tecovirimat, vaccinia immune globulin and the smallpox vaccine may be used during outbreaks. The illness is usually mild and most of those infected will recover within a few weeks without treatment. Estimates of the risk of death vary from 1% to 10%, although very few deaths as a consequence of monkeypox have been recorded since 2017.

The U.S. is leading in coronavirus cases despite things returning to normal. Washed Up 45 squandered his election chances by literally ignoring the threat. He said it would be like the flu and it will go away. 

Yet, the virus spread and all the former president done was call it the China Virus.

Biden who is dealing with the coronavirus is now tasked to establish a monkeypox task force.

The Biden Administration announced the first phase of its national monkeypox vaccine strategy, a critical part of its monkeypox outbreak response. The vaccine strategy will help immediately address the spread of the virus by providing vaccines across the country to individuals at high risk. This phase of the strategy aims to rapidly deploy vaccines in the most affected communities and mitigate the spread of the disease.

This announcement is a critical component of the Administration’s broader public health response, which includes rapidly scaling up and decentralizing testing alongside continued provider education and community engagement across the country. The Administration’s monkeypox outbreak response is also informed by the multiple times over the last twenty years that the United States has effectively responded to the virus. The United States government’s response is coordinated by the National Security Council Directorate on Global Health Security and Biodefense – more commonly known as the White House Pandemic Office – which President Biden restored on day one of his presidency, in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).