Should We Fear the Monkeypox?

The idea that we will have to live with a new human pathogen is just sinking in to the general population. If you want to get an update, check out Mark's new post, it's great to have him back. I have believed for a long time that we are never going to get back to the pre-COVID normal. Health care is now likely to use routine masks. A new infectious precaution is added to my career.

It is possible that humanity will have to get used to the idea of living in a world in which there are more and more Pandemics. I don't think it will be another century before the next COVID, and there are worse things than that on the edges of civilization waiting for their chance. In an even semi-rational world, a much more robust international effort to limit zoononosis would be led by a wake-up call.

There are reports of a new virus being reported in different parts of the world. There were 250 confirmed cases in 16 different countries. There are 20 confirmed cases in the UK, with one confirmed and four suspected cases in the US. An outbreak like this wouldn't register. People are a little twitchy when there is an outbreak. The voices of reason were saying in February 2020 that we should be concerned, but it's too early to panic. It feels like we are in the same place now with the Monkeypox, but I don't know if it struck the right tone in retrospect.

Any new zoonotic outbreak is cause of concern, but we can't panic every time it happens. If we could all be sure that those in charge will respond appropriately, and that they will let us know if we need to take any precautions, it would be a relief. The WHO isn't suggesting any special measures right now. They are describing these ascontainable. Let's take a look at monkeypox to see if we should be concerned.

The monkeypox is related to the smallpox virus. The world was declared free of smallpox in 1980 due to a robust vaccine campaign. The family Poxviridae includes the Monkeypox virus, a member of the Orthopoxviruses family. It is zoonotic, which means it is transmitted from animals to humans. It is less likely to cause a serious illness than smallpox and can be treated with antibiotics. The fatality rate depends on the strain and can range from 0-10%. It is still concerning if one of the more virulent strains breaks out, even though that may be relatively low.

The first case of monkeypox in the country was in 1970. The recent outbreak has perked up interest among experts, as it is spreading outside its usual range. The reports of confirmed cases are likely to be a couple weeks behind reality, as we all learned from tracking COVID. By the time we know of an outbreak in other countries, the virus has already spread.

There are good and bad news about the vaccine. The vaccine gives 85% coverage of the monkeypox. We have effective vaccines and many people are getting them. The bad news is that if you're under 45 you're not likely to get a vaccine. Moderna is one of the companies working on a monkeypox vaccine.

Monkeypox can be spread through direct physical contact with bodily fluids, but also through contact with contaminated surfaces, and through droplets. Aerosolized monkeypox can remain infective for up to 90 hours, but this may not be a significant mode of transmission. masking, avoiding physical contact, cleaning surfaces, and social distance can be very effective, and is why the WHO feels recent outbreaks can be contained. Contact tracing can be combined with this.

Should we fear the monkeypox? Yes and no, right now there are limited outbreaks that can be contained. There are methods of preventing and treating monkeypox. We need a robust international rapid-response capability to nip these outbreaks in the bud before they become epidemics. We know how quickly they can get out of control, so we need to keep an eye on the situation. While the general public is mostly unaware or pays little attention, there has always been an outbreak like this. We are paying attention now.

The monkeypox may be a potent reminder that we need to change the conversation around vaccines. In a world where viruses and other agents are constantly evolving in order to exploit a large human population with frequent global travel, vaccines are our best defense. The world is a petri dish for infections and we have made ourselves more vulnerable by getting too close to wildlife. We need the protection that only vaccines can provide.

It's time to stop tolerance for anti-vaccine lies and propaganda. We need to counter the views against vaccinations. This needs to be coupled with more vaccine requirements. It is reasonable to make it very difficult to live in this world as a person who refuses to do their duty to protect themselves and others because it is likely not feasible in any case. It's your choice, but now you have to stay away from everyone else. It's clear that such regulations need to be on the federal level, when it comes to travel on an international level.

Either that or we need to accept the fact that we live in a world where there are diseases.

• Steven Novella is an academic clinical neurologist at the Yale University School of Medicine. He is the host and producer of the popular weekly science show, The Skeptics, Guide to the Universe, and also the author of the daily neuroscience website, Neuro LogicaBlog. The Skeptics Guide to the Universe was published by Dr. Novella, as well as two courses with The Great Courses.

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