monkeypox 9 misconceptions - a new but old disease
Monkeypox is widespread in many parts of the world and is considered a global emergency. But is this disease recent Is monkeypox contagious in crowded places? Is this a sexually transmitted disease Let's take a look at the misconceptions about monkeypox and what the truth is.
Experts say there is a lot of misinformation about monkeypox that spreads quickly, such as how it is transmitted and who is susceptible to it. Every time a disease spreads, it is important for everyone to learn the right information to prevent the disease together. As we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic, misinformation can seriously harm an individual's health. as well as society's overall efforts to combat the pandemic.
Here are 11 misconceptions about monkeypox that have been refuted by medical experts, let's see if you have them.
1. Monkeypox is a newly emerging disease
In May 2022, the UK health authorities reported a new case of Monkey Pox returning from Lagos, Nigeria. By the end of May in the United States, the first case of the disease was detected in a Massachusetts man. who had traveled to Canada? That's when people began to recognize a disease called Monkey Pox.
But the fact is that monkeypox was discovered more than 60 years ago. In 1958, scientists first recorded disease in monkeys. with symptoms of smallpox-like blisters in humans. Then, in 1970, monkeypox was first detected in humans in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
But since then, most cases of Monkey Pox have been limited to a few African countries. According to who (WHO), countries, where monkeypox is considered an endemic disease, include:
Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana (found only in animals)Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria,
2. Can the covid-19 vaccine cause monkeypox?
Infectious disease experts insist that people cannot get COVID-19 or any virus from the COVID-19 vaccine. In fact, monkeypox and COVID-19 are unrelated, and their agents are completely different viruses.
The covid-19 vaccine and the vaccines currently used against monkeypox have been recognized as safe and effective. Currently, the widely used COVID-Moderna vaccines do not contain live viruses. the two most widely used are Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, produced using messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. The mechanism of these vaccines is to provide our cells with instructions to make a harmless protein that is on the virus. then the immune system learns to attack this protein. and is thus able to fight viruses if they enter the body. There is no link between the COVID-19 vaccine and the monkeypox virus.
Meanwhile,
Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccine is manufactured using virus vector technology. which uses a harmless virus to train the body to fight COVID-19. The Novavax vaccine uses small protein fragments of the virus to stimulate the body's immune response. Neither of these vaccines has anything to do. with monkeypox and of course, they are not effective against it either.
3. Is it possible to get MonkeyPox in the pool
There are still a lot of unknowns about monkeypox, especially how it is transmitted, but at the moment. scientists say that there is no evidence that the virus is transmitted through water, but mainly through direct contact.
However, the disease can also be spread by touching used clothes and bed linen of an infected person that have not been washed. so experts advise people to take precautions when swimming. It is important to pay attention to what you touch. as towels and clothes carry a high risk of spreading the virus.
Although there is no evidence to conclude that monkeypox is transmitted through pond water, you can still be at risk if you have skin contact. or direct contact with an infected person in the water.
4. Can monkeypox be transmitted in crowded places
Limiting the number of people collected is an effective strategy that was widely adopted during the covid-19 pandemic because this disease-causing virus is capable of spreading through the air and infecting the body when we breathe it. Microscopic particles containing viruses. The fewer people you share an enclosed space with. the less likely you are to get sick.
As for Monkey Pox, although the virus can be transmitted through respiratory secretions, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has noticed that droplets containing the virus fall to the ground faster. so experts say that there is a minimal risk of contracting monkeypox in the crowd. but this does not mean that it is completely impossible.
The main way that monkeypox spreads
through long-term close contact with an infected person, that is the need for skin-to-skin contact with open sores. such as hugging, touching objects, or clothing that a person has touched. The disease used. Actions such as kissing and sharing utensils with a person infected with the virus. for example at a party, can also spread the disease. In other words, being in a crowd is not the cause of the disease in itself, but close contact between people is the danger.
5. Monkeypox is a sexually transmitted disease
Monkeypox is not considered a sexually transmitted disease (STI), but many people are mistaken about it.
Although the disease can be transmitted through sexual activity, it is not the primary route, so it is not considered an STI. Monkeypox can be spread by direct skin-to-skin contact without excessive intimacy or sex. while STIs are mainly spread through sex.
6. Are only gay men at risk of contracting monkeypox
This is a very harmful misconception, stemming from the phenomenon of many cases that are detected in the LGBT community. It is important to emphasize here by experts that monkeypox can infect anyone, regardless of sexual orientation. or sexual partner. Therefore, each person should be self-aware. and learn how to protect himself to avoid getting sick.
This misconception is similar to the early stages of the previous HIV / AIDS epidemic when homosexuals were perceived. as a source of the disease and stigmatized with serious consequences for them and their families.
7. Can everyone get the monkey pox vaccine easily
Currently, two vaccines can be used to prevent monkeypox, although they were not originally manufactured for this disease. Vaccines called ACAM2000 and JYNNEOS have been manufactured to fight smallpox in humans. They are, however, at least 85% effective against monkeypox, according to the CDC.
JYNNEOS is a newer and more common vaccine, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2019, while ACAM2000 was approved in 2007.
However, not everyone can get these vaccines. Experts say that the monkey pox vaccine is currently not widely available due to lack of supply, limited supply. and tight control by the state. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccinating people. who have been exposed to or are at risk of contracting monkeypox,
specifically the following:
People who have been exposed to the virus within the last 4 to 14 days. People who work in certain fields or environments. such as healthcare workers and laboratory workers working to diagnose viruses in the same family as monkeypox.
8. Is the monkeypox virus formed in the laboratory
This is completely wrong. Monkeypox originated in a colony of monkeys used in scientific research in the late fifties of the last century. Over the past few decades. there have been small outbreaks of the disease around the world. most of which occur in the tropical rainforest regions of Central and West Africa.
Although the disease was first detected in monkeys, scientists are not sure whether the virus actually originated in monkeys, because many other animals can. also, carry the virus. But it was not made in the laboratory.
9. Is Monkey Pox sweeping the world like covid-19
Covid-19 has damaged life as much as we have seen since 2020, from the closure of companies to the disruption of study and work. Will the scenario be repeated with monkeypox
Although the number of cases continues to increase, experts hope that the disease will not have a serious impact. According to the information on monkeypox so far, the transmission of the disease requires close physical contact. so gatherings and casual encounters are unlikely to be as severely restricted as with COVID-19.
Many people are still haunted by the impact of COVID-19, but scientists have known monkeypox for a long time and have a fairly complete understanding of it, moreover. To prevent it, we have a potent vaccination. This disease is ready to spread. Research is still underway to better understand this virus to find ways to slow its spread and eventually kill it.