By Leena Nasir
Monkeypox has been identified in several European countries, the United States and Canada, and images of pus-filled blisters erupting all over the skin of patients are causing concern.
An overwhelming number of skin lesions and pus-filled blisters have completely covered the bodies of some patients infected with the virus, and are raising the alarm about the severe physical impact associated with this outbreak. Monkeypox “usually incubates in people for 6 to 13 days before symptoms appear,” according to Axios. The virus is transmitted by droplets, close contact and contaminated materials, the outlet reported.
This is a child with monkeypox, a cousin of smallpox. I hope the anti-maskers and “natural immunity” crowd take the virus seriously. Whether it’s the 10% CFR Congo strain or 1% CFR West African #monkeypox strain, both no joke.
Good read:https://t.co/0TzhNS8MMr pic.twitter.com/17NxHbfufM
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) May 19, 2022
The onset of monkeypox symptoms includes “fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, backache, extreme fatigue, and, unlike smallpox, prominent swollen lymph nodes. About 1 to 3 days after the fever appears, a rash develops,” according to Merck Manual. The rash typically begins to form on the face and then continues to spread throughout the body, developing from a flat red spot to “blisters, which fill with pus.” The blisters eventually crust over, the outlet noted. (RELATED: CDC: Most American Kids Have Caught COVID-19, And Almost All Of Them Were Just Fine)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that monkeypox causes lymph nodes to swell significantly, and symptoms can last anywhere from 2-4 weeks.
In Africa, the so-called Congo Basin clade has a fatality rate of around 10%, Axios reported.
Over 6 million people died from COVID.
Do we now have a new virus to worry about?
Monkeypox is here.
I’ve spent that last 24 hours scouring websites, journal articles, and expert analysis on it, so you don’t have to:
— Tessa Davis (@TessaRDavis) May 19, 2022
Although there is no cure or treatment available for monkeypox once the patient is diagnosed, Merck Manual reported, there is an effective vaccine available. According to the CDC, the Acam200 and Jynneos vaccines that are used against smallpox are effective in preventing monkeypox. The Jynneos vaccine is also specifically licensed to prevent monkeypox, the CDC stated.
Prevention measures include avoiding contact with infected people and animals, as well as isolating from those who fall ill from the disease.
