More than 100 reported cases in 10 countries so far, though all sources I’ve seen have stated that the disease is very rarely fatal when treated, and transmissibility is low enough that it’s unlikely to become widespread. The last major outbreak in the US was in 2003 when 71 people in the Midwest became infected—all 71 of whom recovered.
Confirmed case in Massachusetts.
I feel like approximately 40% of the US electorate just said “challenge accepted”.
Well I have already seen someone on another forum declaring that they won’t be getting any shots. I had contemplated posting this in ‘Everything else’, but then remembered that public health is a political and religious issue now.
from what I’ve seen the smallpox vaccine works on this, and that goes back to George Washington.
We’re all monkeys.
Yeah, although no one under the age of 50 was vaccinated against smallpox, I don’t think.
From the Independent
Jimmy Whitworth, Professor of International Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), said the monkeypox outbreak in the UK was “unprecedented”.
…
“It spreads by close contact, either through touching the person, or items such as bedding or shared utensils. It can cause serious illness, although most people recover fully within a few weeks.”
Ok that definition doesn’t seem as intimate as pictured. So smallpox blankets. Hotel sheets. Clothing. What about a tablecloth? Are we back to touch-phobia?
Also it’s kinda funny that they are doing the AIDS thing again - first blame monkey fuckers and now it’s gay men.
I’ve got my smallpox vaccine scar!
I’m sure this is the story of a dystopian pandemic film wherein all the people younger than 60 are killed by the disease, because of “obsolete” vaccination.
Well time to watch the movie Outbreak again.
This seems borderline trivial compared to COVID. Am I wrong? Do I need to add this to my gigantic pile of shit to worry about?
It’s absolutely trivial compared to COVID at this point, and it’s not something people should really be worrying about.
Hunker down and focus on Derp Space development.
Now I know how George RR Martin feels.
You do not.
The play this is getting in the media is essentially all part of a worldwide fear of pandemics now, combined with shitty media outlets finding easy purchase with the public to exploit that fear for clicks.
While there are a lot of (obvious) reasons why this isn’t by any means COVID, some should be self-apparent: it’s not really a very similar disease. While both are viral diseases, COVID hits RNA (which is tricky) while MPX hits DNA (which is apparently a bit easier for medical science to deal with.)
But the main thing to know is this: people who have MPX typically only become infectious when the symptoms of the disease have presented themselves. That’s a HUGE difference between the transmission milieu for this disease and COVID, where infected persons may spread the disease during its incubation period.
Again, people infected with Monkeypox aren’t contagious until they show signs of having the disease. So yes, worry about a table cloth – if the person sitting across from you has their arms and hands covered in MPX welts. Or if you choose to stay in hotels that don’t wash the sheets between guests. Or if you’re borrowing the shirt from a friend who is covered with welts.
Great thread from someone who is an expert, and is less dismissive than I am (and noted, for my own future reference) and yet also at least somewhat skeptical that this will be a major worry at this point.
The biggest worry is that it’ll turn out to be meaningless and the news will not enjoy more clicks and views!
Yeah , given the history of the AIDS epidemic, and the recent attacks on trans folks, that shit is truly terrifying.