Monkeypox declared global health emergency by WHO as cases surge

Declaration is strongest call to action agency can make, with most recent such announcement being for Covid

Monkeypox is a viral infection typically found in animals in central and western Africa, although it can cause outbreaks in humans. Photograph: AP

 

 

Nicola Davis Science Correspondent

Sat 23 Jul 2022 10.15 EDT

Last modified on Sat 23 Jul 2022 10.32 EDT

 

The global monkeypox outbreak has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) – the strongest call to action the agency can make.

 

It is the seventh time such a declaration has been made since 2009, the most recent being for Covid-19, which was given the same label by the WHO in 2020, and follows a meeting of a committee of experts on Thursday.

 

 

Monkeypox is a viral infection typically found in animals in central and western Africa, although it can cause outbreaks in humans.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/23/monkeypox-who-declares-public-health-emergency-of-international-concern

Largest international monkeypox study to date highlights new symptoms

 

Many of the people infected in an international monkeypox outbreak experienced a single lesion or sore in their mouth or on their genitals, a departure from typical symptoms of the virus that could lead to clinicians to misdiagnose monkeypox as another sexually transmitted infection (STI).

 

That's one of the main takeaways from the New England Journal of Medicine's (NEJM's) new international study of the current outbreak, which is the largest case-study on the virus.

...

The study included clinical observations from 528 confirmed infections at 43 sites from Apr 27 to Jun 24 of this year. The median incubation period is 7 days in this outbreak, and the median age of a case-patient was 38. No deaths occurred, but 70 patients (13%) required hospitalization.

 

In the study, authors share many patients are presenting to clinics and hospitals for pain management or difficulty swallowing. Single anal sores have been recorded in several cases. One in 10 people had only a single skin lesion in the genital area, and 15% had anal and/or rectal pain, a symptom not typically seen in other monkeypox outbreaks.

 

(more)

 

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/07/largest-monkeypox-study-date-highlights-new-symptoms

 

 

Aach, we are all going to die. Again.

Well obviously we ARE all going to die, but a state of perpetual panic isn't going to improve the quality of life in the Here and Now.

What is the point of life if it is lived in constant terror? We may as well just all hang ourselves tonight.

 

As an aside, I died twice in an ambulance last year. I didn't find the death part to be in any way inconvenient. The resuscitation, however, was miserable...

1 hour ago, baboon said:

Aach, we are all going to die. Again.

Well obviously we ARE all going to die, but a state of perpetual panic isn't going to improve the quality of life in the Here and Now.

What is the point of life if it is lived in constant terror? We may as well just all hang ourselves tonight.

 

As an aside, I died twice in an ambulance last year. I didn't find the death part to be in any way inconvenient. The resuscitation, however, was miserable...

Time to live in a safe relationship or celibacy. No more prostitutes now! 

 

9 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Time to live in a safe relationship or celibacy. No more prostitutes now! 

 

I do not use prostitutes, nor is my relationship with Mrs baboon in any way 'safe'. I can't stand her and she can't stand me.

But what is your point?

3 minutes ago, baboon said:

I do not use prostitutes, nor is my relationship with Mrs baboon in any way 'safe'. I can't stand her and she can't stand me.

But what is your point?

When it comes to monkey pox, some groups is more exposed than others, that was my point! 

 

We just have to live and adopt to how nature give us challenges as we always have done. 

5 minutes ago, Hummin said:

When it comes to monkey pox, some groups is more exposed than others, that was my point! 

 

We just have to live and adopt to how nature give us challenges as we always have done. 

And? Who doesn't know that?

However I argue that we should not live in a state of perpetual fear. If you want to, please do.

9 hours ago, baboon said:

And? Who doesn't know that?

However I argue that we should not live in a state of perpetual fear. If you want to, please do.

This is why I never wear seatbelts. Those who wear them claim it's a sensible precaution but I know that they are living their lives ruled by fear. Such cowards!