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As the monkeypox virus becomes a health concern that Americans seem to be hearing more and more about, what are some of the best practices for avoiding the virus — and is it time to worry?
Fox News Digital spoke Monday with Dr. Mark Siegel, a physician and professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York and a Fox News contributor, about the monkeypox virus.
He said the virus is usually not serious, although the rash is “painful” and “can cause scarring,” he said.
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Dr. Siegel said no one should “panick,” as many have done with the COVID pandemic.
“I think it’s hard to catch,” Dr. Siegel said of monkeypox. “I would just say be careful about close contact with people with the rash.”
Dr. Mark Siegel spoke to Fox News Digital on Monday, July 25, 2022, about the monkeypox virus, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has just declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). (Fox News)
Saying that health officials still believe “it’s mainly in the MSM community,” Siegel said that’s their “main focus” right now.
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Dr. Siegel emphasized that “given the difficulty of spreading this thing, it’s not going to be like another COVID.”
“I am calling for an urgent authorization for the use of TPOXX [an anti-viral drug]that works,” Dr. Siegel said.
“But you can’t even get it now unless you sign up for a protocol first.”
There are two monkeypox vaccines, Siegel said, “one is the old live virus vaccine — that’s a lot like the smallpox vaccine I had as a kid,” he added.
Monkeypox ‘won’t be like another COVID’.
“There is a national stockpile of this and [it’s] over 100 million doses,” he explained.
“But the problem with that is we don’t really want to give it unless we have a huge outbreak because it’s a live virus vaccine” – and as such it “has side effects.”
There is also an “inactivated” vaccine called JYANNEOS. “That’s the way to go,” Dr. Siegel said.
1997 image provided by the CDC during an investigation into a monkeypox outbreak. This patient showed the appearance of a characteristic rash during his convalescent stage. (CDC via AP, file)
The doctor thinks a caution to the gay community is in order from health professionals, along with advice to keep calm.
“Again, we don’t want to panic, treating this like COVID,” Dr. Siegel said.
“I’m more concerned about sexual transmission at this point,” he said.
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Below is key information and ‘best practices’ when it comes to monkeypox so that everyone can protect themselves as much as possible.
What is monkeypox?
“Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. The monkeypox virus is part of the same family of viruses as the variola virus, the virus that causes smallpox,” the CDC notes on its website.
The symptoms of monkeypox are milder than the symptoms of smallpox—and monkeypox is rarely fatal.
The virus is not related to chicken pox, the CDC says. Monkeypox was discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of a smallpox-like disease occurred in monkeys kept for research.
Why is it called monkeypox?
Despite its name, the source of the disease is unknown.
However, it is possible that African rodents and nonhuman primates (such as monkeys) harbor the virus and infect humans, the CDC says on its website.
Good hygiene is important when protecting yourself from monkeypox – hand washing is also recommended, as well as keeping a healthy distance and washing bedding of infected people. (iStock)
What are the symptoms of monkeypox?
Symptoms of monkeypox include headache, muscle aches, exhaustion, fever, back pain, swollen lymph nodes, and chills.
Within one to three days, a rash and lesions may develop, according to the CDC.
What preventive measures can be taken against monkeypox?
The CDC shares many healthy actions each of us can take to limit exposure and transmission of disease.
Among these tips: Avoid close skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash.
Do not touch or touch the bedding, towels, or clothing of a person with monkeypox.
Do not touch the rash or scabs of anyone who has monkeypox.
Do not share cutlery, plates or glasses with someone who has the virus.
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Do not touch or touch the bedding, towels, or clothing of a person with monkeypox.
Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Isolate at home if you develop monkeypox. Very close personal contact is what causes the virus to spread so quickly, the CDC said. (iStock)
If you are in Central and West Africa, avoid contact with animals that can spread the virus. They are usually rodents and primates.
Also avoid sick or dead animals, as well as bedding or anything else they’ve touched, the CDC notes.
What do you do if you get monkeypox?
Isolate yourself at home. Very close personal contact is another reason for the rapid spread of the virus.
If you have an active rash or other symptoms, “stay in a separate room or area away from people or pets you live with whenever possible,” notes the CDC.
“I’m going to follow my COVID protocols to protect myself from monkeypox,” a human resources professional from Kensington, Maryland, who recently recovered from COVID, told Fox News Digital after hearing about the CDC’s best practices.
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“I have fatigue from COVID, but I also have healthy habits that I’ve picked up from it that I’ll carry on,” she noted.
“Wash your hands, keep a healthy distance and maintain your housekeeping practices – both at home and at work,” she added.
Deirdre Reilly is senior editor, lifestyle, at Fox News Digital.
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