We have all heard the whispers over the past few weeks. Monkey Pox is cropping in countries all over the world in small but increasing case numbers. That would be ominous to anyone especially considering the trials and tribulations that covid has put us through in the past 2 years. The current death toll of the pandemic is 6,390,401. I cannot even begin to imagine how many people are still coming to terms with their losses. Hence, it is no surprise that these murmurs of monkeypox would trigger anxieties. Not to worry, in this edition of D&D we are going to break down Monkey Pox to its smallest viral load and see if this threat truly has some substance behind it.
The most important thing that you need to know right now is that according to the CDC more than 99% of all of Monkey Pox cases are expected to end well, meaning that more than 99 % of those who contracted it will likely survive. (Obviously, nothing is ever 100% certain). This should assuage your fears about another pandemic and mass global deaths. On top of that, there is also a vaccine for monkey pox-its more of a vaccine for smallpox- but the point is it is 86% effective in preventing infections.
Hence, at this point, you might be wondering why the WHO called it a global emergency. It would be interesting to note that the director actually overruled his panel and declared the emergency. The Public Health Emergency of International Concern(PHEIC) is only declared when there is a serious threat to Public Health with an international spread that warrants an integrated international approach. The advisors on the panel felt that it was unnecessary considering the recovery rate, the efficacy of vaccines and the transmission. However, the director wanted to spur the nations into co-operations hence he used his special powers. I can see the good intentions behind his decision and while the initiative is commendable, misinformation that is not what the world needs right now. Given that WHO last declared Covid as a PHEIC, people are naturally going to equate the two with this new declaration. On top of that, the WHO is really giving itself a bit too much importance ,it is the medical equivalent of the UN and its actions do not have much of an impact on a country's actions, as we have discussed before it is dictated by their national and economic interests
Now, you must be curious, why the mode of transmission has not been discussed yet. That is because I feel that the mode of transmission of monkeypox is what makes the virus so special. What you hear right now is that it spreads through close contact. That is true. However, the type of close contact has to be specified. It is skin-to-skin contact like direct contact with monkeypox rash, scabs, or body fluids from a person with monkeypox. Touching objects, fabrics (clothing, bedding, or towels), and surfaces that have been used by someone with monkeypox or respiratory secretions. The problem is the level of intimacy required to get that direct contact is usually done in intimate conditions. Now, according to a study done by the New England Journal of Medicine, 95% of Monkeypox cases are men who have sex with other men. In fact, this statistic has been supported by medical organaistions like WHO and CDC. However, there is a lot of tip-toeing around it by the media. Any time someone suggests that LGBTQ+ community is particularly at risk due to this virus, it is immediately followed by the declaration and the assurance that anyone can contract monkeypox.
This gives a disproportionate and inaccurate understanding of monkeypox. People are so worried about the stigma that this casts on the LGBTQ+ community that they go out of their way to be overly politically correct, creating fear in the general population. These are the same people who decried those who uttered "All lives matter" in response to "Black Lives Matter", yes of course all lives matter but at the same time, not all lives are equally threatened. Similarly, yes monkeypox does have the potential to spread to all people but it has a higher likelihood to spread to the LGBTQ+ community. The problem is that these people fear a stigma being created about them that would lead to hate and discrimination. This fear apparently leads back to the AIDS/HIV epidemic where the community was allegedly persecuted by those who disapproved of their lifestyle. However, it would be prudent to note that to date the Catholic Church is the largest provider' of HIV/AIDS care despite being not supportive of such lifestyles. Hence, this just goes to show that while there are definitely those who discriminate against the community and perpetrate acts of violence, those are the minority. Even those who are unsupportive of such lifestyles have stepped up to help. Hence, there really is no need for such an abundance of political correctness that harms the general population by inducing fear and hurts the LGBT+ population by not properly identifying them as the at-risk community so that they would know to take more safe and preventative measures.
At the end of the day, We need people to trust news and medical organizations. That is the only way we will be able to get through disease outbreaks and prevent the loss of life. However, by mudding the waters, they have stoked unnecessary fear in the general population and while people are scared now, when they realise the truth they will feel distrustful and angry. This would create a boy-who-cried-wolf situation and when there are really epidemic they might be less willing to subscribe to the advice of the medical institutions leading to more loss of life. But if there is one thing you should take away, do not be alarmed, now you know what Monkeypox is, it is most certainly not the next avenger-level epidemic.
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