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mellowtiggerToday's Moody Monday post explores the newly developing pandemic of monkeypox.
Anyone can get monkeypox, but right now it's still a challenge to get diagnosed. Some people who get it have been discussing their experience and sharing photos at the Reddit for MonkeypoxPositive. I've seen the claim that the USA has more monkeypox than flu cases. Monkeypox is spreading in Minnesota, and schools will be back in session soon. It's basically transmitting wildly, with another epidemic facing us.
The pustules break out on skin and especially on areas with thinner membranes. That presentation is why too many people think transmission is sexual. It's not. These areas are just especially susceptible to outbreak of pustules. That's what this pox in particular does, but in general that's also what any pox does, and sexual activity is no requirement.
Monkeypox is not a gay disease. It's not even a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Gay men with their improved sexual health awareness are just the proverbial canary in a coal mine, not the preferred target of any virus.
Monkeypox is airborne, something that we've known for a long time. It is easily spread by contact with skin or surfaces, and you can carry it asymptomatically. Basically, ignore the idiotic gay-focused STD story that is still being promoted by the USA's CDC. Instead, pay attention to the doctors asking the CDC to change, and quickly. Somehow, the CDC has forgotten what it already knew, that labs working with monkeypox should use Biosafety Level 3 practices, which are intended for work with any substance that may cause "potentially fatal disease through inhalation exposure". They know, but like COVID-19, they're gaslighting us for unfathomable reasons.
Keep masking. Keep isolating and distancing. Keep hand washing.
Anyone can get monkeypox, but right now it's still a challenge to get diagnosed. Some people who get it have been discussing their experience and sharing photos at the Reddit for MonkeypoxPositive. I've seen the claim that the USA has more monkeypox than flu cases. Monkeypox is spreading in Minnesota, and schools will be back in session soon. It's basically transmitting wildly, with another epidemic facing us.
Numbers can provide clues. Twitter user JWeiland, identified as a scientist who models disease case trends in their bio, released early models on Wednesday this week that suggested case numbers could reach as high as 1 million by September if cases continue on their current trend.
- Newsweek, 2022 July 01
- Newsweek, 2022 July 01
The pustules break out on skin and especially on areas with thinner membranes. That presentation is why too many people think transmission is sexual. It's not. These areas are just especially susceptible to outbreak of pustules. That's what this pox in particular does, but in general that's also what any pox does, and sexual activity is no requirement.
Monkeypox is not a gay disease. It's not even a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Gay men with their improved sexual health awareness are just the proverbial canary in a coal mine, not the preferred target of any virus.
Monkeypox is airborne, something that we've known for a long time. It is easily spread by contact with skin or surfaces, and you can carry it asymptomatically. Basically, ignore the idiotic gay-focused STD story that is still being promoted by the USA's CDC. Instead, pay attention to the doctors asking the CDC to change, and quickly. Somehow, the CDC has forgotten what it already knew, that labs working with monkeypox should use Biosafety Level 3 practices, which are intended for work with any substance that may cause "potentially fatal disease through inhalation exposure". They know, but like COVID-19, they're gaslighting us for unfathomable reasons.
So let's talk monkeypox framing. This seems to be stumping people, so let's get down to it: contagions spread through contact between people. The more close and vigorous an activity, the more we breathe, sweat and touch others, the higher the likelihood of transmission. Period.
- Twitter, Jess Kant, 2022 July 23
A few questions that I can't answer yet. - Twitter, Jess Kant, 2022 July 23
- What other animals are susceptible? There are already anecdotal reports of dogs and rabbits sharing infection with humans.
- How durable is it on surfaces as a fomite? I've seen informal statements that it can remain on surfaces for months and doesn't repond to simple soap or alcohol cleaning that works on other viruses. Companies are happy to sell products for it, but I don't know yet of any hard evidence that explains its durability in the environment. It may be that ultraviolet light is the only reliable way to quickly disinfect surfaces from monkeypox. I just don't know.
- Why is it mutating so much faster than expected? My guess, of course, is that half of the human population is now immune compromised thanks to SARS-CoV-2, allowing all pathogens greater opportunity to infect and adapt. I expect similar immune-suppressed surges in polio, latent tuberculosis blooming to full activation, cancers, and more.
- Is infection permanent? Chickenpox is permanent, which is why we get vaccinations(/boosters) later in life for shingles, because the latent virus reactivates as our immune system wanes. I'll presume that monkeypox is also permanent, unless I find reliable research showing otherwise.
Keep masking. Keep isolating and distancing. Keep hand washing.
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Date: 2022-Jul-28, Thursday 05:35 pm (UTC)https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1552682397052944384