What is the WHO Doing About Monkeypox

Monkeypox is currently seen most commonly in West Africa, however, the cases are being found in several other countries. There are up to 71 cases in the UK as of today. It is a large outbreak and it is quite unusual and this is generating concern across the globe.

Read: The first cases of monkeypox. How it all started.

What can be seen now is the human-to-human transmission. The disease is not transmitted through monkeys. The WHO has recently answered some of the questions people are asking. We have some answers from – Dr. Rosamund Lewis, Head of the WHO Smallpox Secretariat.

How does monkeypox spread?

– People who have monkeypox take time to develop a rash, and if a person touches that rash it can spread. It is person-to-person close contact spread.

What are the symptoms of monkeypox?

– There are typical early symptoms and are fever, headache, lethargy, and then a rash develops. It is traditional and they start with macules, these are red areas and then it progresses to papules, these are raised and then it progresses to vesicles, and these would be like blisters. In terms of the body and self, the classic progression is faced, then limbs, and then the body itself.

Can the smallpox vaccine help prevent monkeypox?

– According to studies, the smallpox vaccine used during the studies was seen that the vaccine can protect from monkeypox up to 85% of the time. However, because these are relatively newly discovered, they are not widely available commercially.

The WHO is trying to enhance the availability of the products by working with partners and commercial sectors. They are currently available to some ministries of health in national stockpiles only.

The UK Health Security Agency is advising people that have had close contact with infected people to self-isolate for 21 days. The UK government says that they are monitoring and keeping an eye on the issue.