Anyone else worried about M pox?

[girlfriend44]

It's been in the news today. Monkey Pox or M pox is spreading they have found a case in Sweden now and hinted it could spread more.
Anyone worried or is it scare mongering.

It seems to be in the news again?😪

@NAndJIsLockingDown

pretty sure you’re the same poster from the Covid threads.

Yes. I thought the same.

I was ahead of the curve being very concerned about Covid, but even I remember dismissing it early on and thinking "oh that is awful for those in China" without really thinking anymore about it. I worked in a pharmacy and saw the panic growing week on week with people at first looking for masks (we had none), hand gel (it had sold out), paracetamol ("I need it for chronic pain, not for Covid, sell it to me not everyone else" ...said to me on repeat when limited to one box), then it was cough mixture ("I have a cough, it's not Covid" ...no tests available at this stage so a bit presumptious)...I'm hoping my lack of concern (except for those in countries effected) is not misplaced and that the problem can be contained and those sick treated.

The thought of another lockdown is hideous, but if this (or any other virus) becomes a pandemic and the fatality rate is high, we will need to take precautions.

I'm not worried at all

I don't plan to have sex , share bedding , towels or close contact with any strangers

I plan to maintain good levels of hygiene , especially in my high risk work environment

Otherwise I don't think there's much we can do

Indeed - better safe than sorry.

I agree. I’m nearly 50, I remember SARS, bird flu, swine flu, numerous others that I can’t even recall the name of. The most likely scenario is that this will be insignificant.
Even in the grand scheme of things, Covid will be insignificant in 20 years.

Indeed

But it's less of a ball ache than lockdown etc.. Didn't New Zealand essentially close their borders and carry on as usual through that?

It's funny isn't it? By turning their nose up at lower-level protections, people are just asking for a full Lockdown.

I think since covid everything like this worrying. Who knows what will happen

Is @NAndJIsLockingDown a parody or this site's most batshit poster back in a new guise? 🤔

When, and why did the term "men who have sex with other men" become a thing? Surely male homosexual or gay are the correct terms?

Not worried. Disgusted that the west is sitting on a stockpile of vaccines rather than sending them where they are needed.

They are making room for all the straight/married men who do not consider themselves gay - and yet do have sex with other men.

I'm sure China, which has a lot of mineral franchises and leases will step up, and the islamic world, who had a large hand in historic slave trading will do their duty. Give the White Saviours a break.

Political correctness 😴

It's not political correctness. It is acknowledging that men who consider themselves straight, and who may or may not be married, do have sex with other men.

In terms of the UK, I do not think this is a massive worry, and I was concerned about covid early on. I could see covid was going to become a real issue and was irritated at those minimising it.
But MPox has visible signs with blisters and needs close contact. Unlike covid you are not going to get this from sitting in a cinema with someone who has it a few rows back.
I think it is coming to the UK. Those who will get it will be prostituted people, people who have lots of sexual partners and who have group sex/visit sex clubs.
There may be some cases in nurseries - young kids tend to be huggy. But there will be a lot of news about it, and the nurseries will be closed down until they know its safe for kids to return. It is possible there might be a few outbreaks in primary schools for the same reason.
The important thing is that medics are educated on how to diagnose this. You can get chickenpox and MPox at the same time. Because misdiagnosis will lead to greater spread. But for most people it will not be any more concerning in the UK I think than the meningitis outbreaks we sometimes get.
The fact elderly people are largely already vaccinated will help prevent the spread in hospitals and care homes we would otherwise get.
Totally different for children in the Congo and it is awful.

@NAndJIsLockingDown It was quickly learned in the eighties when trying to educate people about HIV, that there was no point saying gay men are at highest risk and need to use condoms. Because there were plenty of men who thought, well I am not gay so this does not apply to me.
Public health education to be effective has to use words that people will respond to. Otherwise they are wasting their time.

Yeah, that's what lots of people said during Covid. We had loads of batshit rules and even then a full lockdown. Absolutely nuts.

I am keeping an eye on it but not worrying. I think people may take a virus that could leave them with scars more seriously.

The case in Sweden was someone who had just arrived from Africa I think. (Possibly work travel, so caught in Africa not Sweden)

Hopefully vaccine production can be ramped up and rolled out quickly if needed.

MPox has already been in the UK, but a less contagious version. It was mainly men who had sex with men, people who had group sex, and prostituted people affected. The concern is that a more contagious MPox may spraed to others like children.
Personally I think it will, but we will have few local outbreaks and nurseries and schools of affected children may be temporarily closed while everyone else is vaccinated. But I think not many people will be affected.

I never worried about covid, I'm not worried about this.

You will if you start breaking out in hideous weeping pustules.

(I also don’t think there’s anything to fret about given the transmissibility, vaccine availability, infection monitoring etc etc. This isn’t like Covid. Or so I hope.)

Nice try, but nope....still not worried.