The new scourge to hit may be Monkeypox, but how dangerous is it? Recall that a plethora of viruses and bacteria are found throughout the earth; most do not cause disease. Monkeypox belongs in the family of viruses like Cowpox and Smallpox which were certainly much more deadly!
Primarily it’s been infecting people in Nigeria and the Congo. Due to international travel, an outbreak occurred within a gay community of homosexual men in England and is now spreading to other countries. In June 1, 2022 there were minimal cases in the US. Currently there are 21,000 in the US with 0 deaths and 56,600 cases globally.
It’s spread by direct contact with the lesions of an infected person, droplets exhaled or contact from infected drainage on materials such as linens.
COVID was much more contagious as the virus droplets were much smaller, airborne and could linger in the air for hours. Monkeypox droplets are heavier and fall to the floor. Close contact is needed to acquire the disease.
Common symptoms are chills (from fever), headache, back and joint pain, weakness, sore throat, other respiratory symptoms, itching and pain from the pox lesions.
The incubation period is 6 to 13 days from exposure. The rash appears 1 to 5 days after the first symptoms. The rash begins as a raised reddened area much like a pimple. Over time it opens…drains, forms a scab and falls off.
The CDC recommends isolation from other people and pets (can also spread the disease) “from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed.” This may take between 2 and 4 weeks.
Children and unborn babies are at the greatest risk as they haven’t built immunity strong enough to fight it. However, most cases are currently in gay men.
In 1980 the World Health Organization stated that the deadly Smallpox disease had been irradicated. While the Smallpox vaccination program ended in the US in 1971, it does provide some protection for those who were vaccinated. It is currently the vaccine being used to treat highly at-risk populations where Monkeypox is spreading.
The good news is that Monkeypox is a much milder disease than Smallpox, but it is spreading. Governments all over the world have stockpiled the Smallpox vaccine in case of a bioterrorism event. Time will tell if it will be utilized for Monkeypox.
A great place to go for current information that you can trust is from Dr. John Campbell at https://www.youtube.com/c/Campbellteaching/videos. The CDC has good information as well.
When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying His hands on each one, He healed them. Luke 4:40
Source:
–CDC, Monkeypox, https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/about/faq.html#Basics
–CDC, 2022 Monkeypox Outbreak and Cases, https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/index.html
–Dr. John Campbell, videos https://www.youtube.com/c/Campbellteaching/videos
–CDC Smallpox https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/
–C. Henry Kempe, “The End of Routine Smallpox Vaccination in the United States” (1972), https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/49/4/489/47117/THE-END-OF-ROUTINE-SMALLPOX-VACCINATION-IN-THE?redirectedFrom=fulltext
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ã All rights reserved 2022, Jennie E. Johnson, RN-BC, PhD
Author of new book: Helping the Hurting: Nursing Ministry in the Body of Christ
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