To ask if you are worried about monkeypox?

[WhenTheNightFalls]

Can't help but feel a little anxious about it all. Aibu?

I don't think many of us have much, if any, confidence in anything the WHO have to say, they have shown time and again to be hopelessly inadequate and deathly slow with their responses.

I have much more confidence in the the actual experts and scientists and the data, which seems to be pointing to the fact MP has mutated, and not in a good way.

The DM article should not be of a major concern, but the community spread, a child in ICU even with so few cases relatively and the fact you can catch it within 1m of an infected person should certainly give one pause for thought.

That's a shame. It's a discussion with a world expert on MP, a world expert on zoonotic diseases and a world expert on the epidemiology of HIV and STIs.

I agree it looks likely that it has mutated. That just makes me think 'oh, that explains it', not 'OMG it's worse than we thought!'

I agree it looks likely that it has mutated. That just makes me think 'oh, that explains it', not 'OMG it's worse than we thought!'

It is appears to have mutated to now be capable of spreading more easily from human to human how is that not worse? Genuine question 🤔

Because we already knew it was spreading more easily from human to human. That's why scientists are concerned - it's behaving atypically.

We just didn't know why and now we (probably) do. The situation hasn't changed, we just have more knowledge which is a good thing.

Previous outbreaks outside countries where MPX is endemic have shown pretty much zero human to human transmission. They've generally been single cases in people who have travelled from western or central Africa and they have rarely passed it on to anyone else.

There was a bigger outbreak in the US in 2003 after a batch of Gambian rats was imported for the pet market. The rats passed it on to prairie dogs which are also popular as pets. 71 people caught it from their animals but there was no human to human transmission.

This is a good article for maintaining perspective:

What bothers infectious-disease experts across the continent is the double standard that has emerged since monkeypox grabbed the world’s attention: Few seemed to care, or even notice, until people in the West started getting sick.

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/05/24/africa-europe-monkeypox-virus-outbreak/

Your intention seems entirely political lang and the minimising you are doing on the thread is really poor form.

You said it was a genuine question. I gave an honest answer.

I no longer believe your question was genuine.

Because we already knew it was spreading more easily from human to human. That's why scientists are concerned - it's behaving atypically. We just didn't know why and now we (probably) do. The situation hasn't changed, we just have more knowledge which is a good thing

We have only just found this out, it was not spreading at this rate in Africa or anywhere else. So the idea that we knew all of this already is simply not remotely true. It has only just happened. Now the rate is really going up - are you really so not bothered? Perhaps you don't even live in the UK. Anyone based in London with kids is going to be worried full stop.

But it has been spreading at this rate in the UK and in some other countries over the past few weeks. That's exactly why scientists are concerned and why it's newsworthy. The virus is behaving atypically. It is spreading more easily between people than previously. Now we have a (probable) reason. That's all.

I think I'm done responding to you.

Some papers and media channels are whipping up a storm on this because they know people will be frightened at the prospect of another pandemic. This virus isn’t airborne, and there’s already effective treatments available. We won’t have to lockdown for this virus.

Yes and we have a pool of experts who have been dealing with this disease for 40 years. I liked this quote in the article I linked above from a Nigerian scientist:

“It’s not that scary here,” he said. “People are used to it. Come learn from our public health authorities. Come see how we contain it.”

I had the smallpox vaccine as a baby in the late seventies (due to living in the ME) and according to my mother it was no big deal. My scar is almost imperceptible now. Hopefully there are a couple of antibodies still floating around just in case!

There are times when I dont switch on the news, [havent properly read a newspaper in years] and not on the internet much.
It is quite blissful. Unaware, and not impacted by anything much, apart from the weather.

Trying to get information but limited info available. On every news article/ website covering this, is the same statement “cases are usually mild, but can be severe in pregnant women, the immunocompromised and children”. I believe it can cause still birth? Also it seems that the vaccine isn’t suitable for pregnant women nor the anti viral treatments. Although case numbers are low, this is not at all reassuring.. just wondering what other people think? Maybe am over worrying as pregnant… but not exactly reassured by what information is out there.

It does seem very hard to get solid information as to what to look out for saying it can be severe in children but not giving much information isn’t exactly helpful

It does seem very hard to get solid information as to what to look out for saying it can be severe in children but not giving much information isn’t exactly helpful

Really? The information is easily available.

A Paediatric infectious diseases consultant at Alder Hey has quite literally said that it is so rare in children that any rash is more likely to be chickenpox, or hand, foot and mouth disease.