The World Health Organization declared a global health emergency after Monkeypox, once a relatively obscure virus endemic to Africa, became a global threat.
New York State and San Francisco have declared emergencies of their own. Even though the national tally is near 5,000 cases, federal health officials have not followed suit.
The coronaviruses is a known enemy. There are tests and treatments for it.
The picture that scientists are presented with is more complicated and challenging. The mystery of how the virus behaves in different ways in different parts of the world is still a mystery.
If monkeypox can be stopped at all, scientists are racing to answer three questions about how long it will take.
Health officials said at the beginning of the outbreak that the virus spread through respiratory droplets when a person coughs or sneezes, and through close contact with bedding and other contaminated material.
All of that was correct. It is possible that it is not the entire picture.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 99% of the people who have been exposed to the virus have been men. As of July 25, 13 women and two children had been diagnosed with monkeypox.
There is a virus in saliva, urine, feces and semen. It is not known if those fluids can be infectious or if the virus can be transmitted by means other than skin-to-skin contact. Researchers are wondering about the pattern of spread so far.
Monkeypox does not spread easily and has not yet spread into the rest of the population. Some social media posts suggest that the average person is at risk from store-bought clothes or from a fleeting interaction with an infectious person.
Monkeypox is what it is. The symptoms of monkeypox are not as bad as they are for smallpox. There was an outbreak in monkeys kept for research. tens of thousands of men who have sex with men have been affected by the virus, which has spread to dozens of countries since it was first discovered in parts of Central and West Africa. Monkeypox was declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization.
I'm afraid I might have a disease. I don't know what to do. You can't test for monkeypox if you only have flu symptoms. You can get a monkeypox test from an urgent care center or your primary care doctor. If you have to come in contact with other people for medical care, you should be isolated at home.
The treatment for monkeypox is not known. Symptom management is usually involved in the treatment for monkeypox. Severe cases can sometimes be mitigated with the use of the drug tpox. Even if you take the vaccine after exposure, it can help reduce symptoms.
I live in the city. Is it possible to get the vaccine? Adult men who have sex with men and have had multiple sexual partners in the last 14 days are eligible for a vaccine in New York City. People with conditions that weaken the immune system or have a history of allergies are encouraged to get the vaccine. There is a website that people can use to book an appointment.
The C.D.C says that people with no symptoms can't spread the disease. Men who did not experience any symptoms have been found to have the virus. The pattern of symptoms has changed in the past.
Some people became ill after consuming bush meat or using products from the animals. They would develop a rash on the face, palms and feet, followed by a body ache, and then on to the whole body. The risk of severe symptoms was highest for infants and pregnant ladies.
In the outbreak outside Africa, many patients don't have any symptoms at all, and the rash can be mistaken for sexually transmitted infections.
The official description of monkeypox has been changed to include anal or rectal pain. The presentation of the disease in Western countries may be indicative of the virus's natural course, according to some scientists.
Jynneos is a vaccine made by a small company in Europe. As the virus spread, the Biden administration moved slowly to get more vaccine.
Over the next few months, federal officials will receive nearly seven million doses. The administration has shipped over 300,000 doses. The FDA said that it had approved more than one million more doses, but it was not clear when they would be distributed.
Jynneos is supposed to be administered in two separate batches. Washington and New York City are holding back second dose until more are available.
The federal health officials advised against that. A single shot of Jynneos seems to be protective for up to two years. postponing additional shots may help officials contain the outbreak by immunizing more people.
The second dose of the Covid vaccine was held back by Britain early on in the Pandemic. He said that the benefit of priority is outweighing the risk.
As eligibility widens, there may not be much choice. Sex workers, patients of sexual health clinics, clinicians and other employees who may be exposed to the virus at work can now be eligible for immunizations.
Emily Rogers, a 29-year-old medical anthropologist, said she was able to get an appointment very quickly in Rhode Island.
She qualified for the shot because she sometimes has sex with men who are at high risk for monkeypox. Nobody asked if she was eligible. She said that it was a smooth process.
The vaccine is only being offered as a preventive measure because of the shortage.
David Baldwin, a music professor in New York, was able to get the vaccine because doctors didn't think he was already sick. He had rectal pain. He said that he never developed any skin problems on his body.
The F.D.A. approved a drug to treat a disease. There is only limited data on how it is used.
There is no shortage of 1.7 million doses in the national inventory. The drug has been hard to get, and that has meant that there are still questions about how well the drug works for people.
Until recently, doctors had to send detailed reports to the C.D.C. for patients to record their progress, but that's no longer the case.
With so many obstacles, many clinics did not offer tecovirimat at all, and even physicians at well-funded institutions were not able to treat many patients per day.
The 39-year-old Stogner sought help for monkeypox on July 8. He tried to get tecovirimat but was told that other people needed it more.
While waiting for the drug to be isolated, three new tumors appeared on his back. He said it was like your sentence was getting longer.
On July 21st, Mr. Stogner received his first dose. He said hislesions went from swollen and red to flat, dark spots in a day.
The C.D.C. made it easier to get tecovirimat. The agency now requires less patient visits, samples and forms.
Scientists and health officials will gain a better understanding of the drug's effectiveness if it is used more. The C.D.C. will use the new requirements to determine if and how well the drug works for monkeys.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is planning a clinical trial of tecovirimat in adults with monkeypox, including people living with H.I.V. The agency is working with Siga Technologies, the manufacturer of the drug, on a trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the virus is a longstanding problem.
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