Monkeypox: Should We Be Worried? // NBYRM

Monkeypox: Should We Be Worried?

NBYRM // Ben Nivera

When it seems like COVID has died down a bit and things are slowly returning to what was normal back then, a new disease has re-emerged out of nowhere. Spreading like wildfire, Monkeypox has already reached more than 20 countries worldwide as of Thursday, May 26, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). While many are comparing the disease to COVID, others are claiming that Monkeypox isn’t something we should be frightened of. But whatever everyone’s opinion is, the question still remains: Should we be worried?

Monkeypox isn’t entirely a new disease; as a matter of fact, the first cases, discovered in 1958, weren’t even on humans, but rather, on monkeys, hence the name “monkeypox”. The first cases on humans were only found later in 1970 in the Republic of Congo. In 2003, 47 people in the United States were infected by the disease; it was later found out that the pox traced back to a pet store that sells rodents imported from Ghana. Other than these, there were also several cases of Monkeypox in recent years; 2017-2019 in Nigeria, 2018 in the U.K., 2019 in Singapore, and some cases in 2021.

Early symptoms usually include headache, fever, fatigue, and muscle pains. After a few days, rashes would appear on the face before spreading to other parts of the body, usually on the palms, arms, and legs. However, some recent cases began with rashes on genitals. Over a week or two, the rash would eventually turn into blisters similar to chickenpox, then later into larger, pus-filled blisters. The disease is usually mild, but complications can include pneumonia, vision loss due to eye infection, and sepsis. Monkeypox spreads primarily through physical contact.

Since the first patient on May 7, Monkeypox has spread rapidly. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of May 26, the current Monkeypox outbreak has already reached more than 20 countries, with more than 200 confirmed cases and about 100 suspected cases. In recent weeks, the disease has already spread throughout North America and Europe, generating outbreaks in countries outside of Central and West Africa where the virus has circulated at low levels over the past four decades. Even though the sudden outbreak and the symptoms may seem alarming, NO DEATHS have been recorded so far and patients recover only after a few weeks.

The Philippines' National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 has stated that the closing of borders is unnecessary. National Task Force Medical Adviser Dr. Ted Herbosa also explained that since Monkeypox is a relative of a smallpox virus which was already eradicated years ago, formulating a vaccine would be much easier. “Yung smallpox virus, maaring magawang bakuna at pupuwedeng epektibo dito sa Monkeypox. So sa mga bansa na naka-freeze 'yung virus ng smallpox, they can actually manufacture the necessary vaccine although wala tayo commercially. Kapag kumalat, puwedeng gumawa ng bakuna,” Herbosa said.

So to answer the question, no, I don’t think we should be worried about Monkeypox. Most of the cases are from the U.K. and from other countries far from the Philippines. Other than that, patients who have caught the virus seem to recover quickly and no deaths have been recorded so far. But the virus not being something to be worried about doesn’t mean we don’t have to be prepared, right? Since there are no plans to close the Philippines’ borders, it’s very possible for infected people (who have only shown symptoms from early stages; no rashes and blisters) to enter our country. For now, the best we can do is watch the news and be wary of the people and things that we touch. If we don’t stay alert just like what we did last 2020, we might as well just be on lockdown for who-knows-how-many years again. [R]