The World Health Organization (WHO) says an outbreak of monkeypox outside Africa will not lead to a pandemic, an official has said, adding that it is still unclear whether infected people who are not displaying symptoms can transmit the disease. Huh.
key points:
- Declaring a pandemic, as was done for COVID-19 and Ebola, will help accelerate research and funding to prevent the disease.
- The strain of virus involved in the outbreak is understood to have killed a small proportion of those infected, but no deaths have been reported.
- A WHO expert says the spread of the disease does not mean people should stay away from the LGBTQ+ community
More than 300 suspected and confirmed cases of monkeypox – a usually mild illness that is spread by close contact and can cause flu-like symptoms and pus-filled skin sores – have been reported in May, mostly in Europe.
WHO is considering whether the outbreak should be assessed as a “potential public health emergency of international concern” or PHEIC.
Such an announcement, as was made for COVID-19 and Ebola, would help accelerate research and funding to prevent the disease.
Asked whether this monkeypox outbreak has the potential to develop into a pandemic, the technical lead for monkeypox from the WHO Health Emergency Program, Rosamund Lewis, said: “We don’t know, but we don’t think so.”
Once monkeypox has been contracted, the period of rash and scabs is recognized as a contagious period, but there is limited information about whether the virus has been transmitted by people who have contracted monkeypox, he said. are not symptomatic, he said.
“We don’t really know yet whether there is asymptomatic transmission of monkeypox — the past has indicated that this is not a major feature — but that remains to be determined,” she said.
The virus strain contained in the outbreak is understood to kill a small fraction of those infected, but no deaths have been reported during the widespread outbreak.
Most of the cases have been reported in Europe rather than in Central and West African countries where the virus is endemic, and those cases are not primarily related to travel.
no reason to leave the pride parade
On Monday, another World Health Organization expert said the monkeypox outbreak doesn’t mean people should stay away from LGBTQ+ pride parades.
In the most recent cases, the usually mild illness has disproportionately affected men who have sex with men.
Health officials have emphasized that anyone who has close skin-to-skin contact with an infected person can spread the disease.
Andy Seeley, strategy adviser in WHO’s Department of Sexually Transmitted Infection Programs, said at a WHO social media briefing, “It is important that those who want to go out and celebrate gay pride, LGBTQ+ pride, continue to go and Make a plan to do that.” ,
He said that many of the current affairs related incidents took place in enclosed spaces like nightclubs.
Upcoming Pride Marches are scheduled for New York on June 26 and in Berlin on July 23, among other locations.
Reuters
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