where did monkeypox come from|can kids get monkeypox|how do monkey pox start|does monkeypox itch|what is monkeypox virus|did monkeypox come from monkeys:Monkeypox continues to spread around the world with more than 21,100 cases reported globally in the current outbreak, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Despite the unprecedented number of cases, and about 8 percent of patients being hospitalized in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) European region between May 13 and July 22, there are still not thought to have been any deaths due to monkeypox outside of Africa, where the virus is endemic.
Even as the world reels from the severe impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has now sounded the alarm bell over a new viral disease, monkeypox, which is spreading rapidly and wreaking havoc around the world.
What is monkeypox?
“Monkeypox is a viral infection stemming from the same family as the smallpox virus,” explains Dr. Thomas Yadegar, medical director of the intensive care unit at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center. “It is a self-limiting disease, meaning that as time progresses, the infection should resolve itself.”Though people in the U.S. may just be learning about monkeypox, it is not a new virus.
“The monkeypox virus was first discovered in monkeys in 1958, and then in humans in the early 1970s,” says Rachel Cox, DNP, FNP-BC, an assistant professor in the School of Nursing at MGH Institute of Health Professions. “Although monkeypox and smallpox have similar symptoms, monkeypox is generally milder and much less likely to cause death.”
how do monkey pox start
As at 5 PM EDT on on August 3, as many as 26,208 confirmed cases of monkeypox had been reported in 87 countries, according to data available on cdc.gov. With non-endemic countries reporting a rampant spike in the number of monkeypox cases, WHO on July 24, 2022, declared monkeypox a global health emergency. India has reported 9 cases of monkeypox and one virus-related death.
According to who.int, monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease which occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of central and western Africa and is occasionally exported to other regions. It is considered a self-limiting disease and is transmitted to humans through close contact with infected persons or animals.
As more and more studies continue to come out regarding monkeypox, there has been a fear among people. They are now wondering if there is any similarity between the Covid pandemic and monkeypox and what is the difference between the two. Let’s answer some of the frequently asked questions on monkeypox and Covid-19:
What is the risk for monkeypox in kids?
Parents who are especially worried because they live in one of the areas, such as New York City, where there are higher numbers of cases should be reassured because overall the number of cases of monkeypox in kids remains low, Nordlund said.
“Right now children make up a very small proportion of the overall number of monkeypox cases, of which there are over 6,000,” Nordlund said. “Data about infections in children are limited and the CDC is working to learn more.”
With the small number of infections reported in children as of early August, experts say parents shouldn’t be overly concerned about their kids catching the virus, unless they themselves have monkeypox, which they could easily spread to their children.
Can u Die From Monkeypox
“Generally speaking, there isn’t much to worry about,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the center for vaccine development at Texas Children’s Hospital and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine. “I’m not worried about transmission in schools.”
But that may change, Hotez said. “The trajectory has been going up pretty fast. If it continues to climb and the virus becomes more generalized among the population, that is a concern.”
The presence of monkeypox in wastewater suggests that the disease may be more spreading even faster than we think, Hotez said. Wastewater samples have come up positive for monkeypox in a number of locations, including the San Franciso Bay Area and southern Nevada. Other locations, including the Atlanta area and North Carolina, are beginning to check their wastewater.
While Hotez is not worried about kids in grade school, he is somewhat worried about college kids and those who live at boarding schools. “They live in such close quarters in dorms,” he said. “If it accelerates, there could be clusters.”
How are monkeypox and Covid-19 caused?
While the coronavirus or Covid-19 is caused by acute respiratory syndrome, monkeypox is usually associated with the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae. Covid-19 contains a single strand of genetic material, which is also known as RNA, whereas monkeypox carries a double-stranded genetic code in DNA.
How do Monkeypox and Covid-19 spread?
Monkeypox is usually said to spread and circulate among wild animals of central and western Africa and can be transferred to humans when they eat or come in close contact with infected animals. Covid-19, on the other hand, can spread from an infected person to a healthy individual through small droplets from the nose or mouth; these are ejected when a person coughs or exhales.
Monkeypox symptoms vs Covid-19 symptoms
According to reports, the most common Covid-19 symptoms include fever, sore throat, cough, fatigue, runny nose, joint pain, headache, shortness of breath, chest pain, loss of sense of smell and taste and gastrointestinal issues. The symptoms of monkeypox, on the other hand, are similar to those of smallpox. These include fever, rashes and swollen lymph nodes. These symptoms usually last between 2 and 4 weeks.