The World Health Organisation (WHO) has triggered the highest alert, Monkey pox is now prevalent in 75 countries and is a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) - the second disease to be tagged so in three years. The International Health Regulations Committee in January 2020 declared Covid-19 a public health emergency of international concern.

PREVIOUS PHEICS 2009: H1N1 flu declared a PHEIC and then a pandemic

2014: Ebola and polio virus declared PHEIC 

2016: Zika virus was declared a PHEIC

What is Monkeypox? 

Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease with symptoms similar to smallpox, although with less clinical severity. The virus is a part of the family of variola virus, which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus, the virus which results in causing small pox. 

Variants of monkeypox 

The Congo strain and the West African strain are the two variants of monkeypox. The Congo strain is more fatal than the West African strain. While the Congo strain has the mortality rate of 10%, the West African strain has a lower mortality rate of 1%. 

What are the symptoms of Monkeypox? 

The latency period of the monkeypox virus is 21 days after which the symptoms start arising. The symptoms of monkeypox are lighter as compared to the smallpox symptoms. Some of the symptoms of the monkeypox virus Fever Headache Muscle pain Exhaustion Swollen lymph nodes Later people develop rashes on their skin which often begin to appear on their face and then spread to the other body parts. The rashes keep spreading until they form a scab and shed off. This disease lasts for a period of two to four weeks. 

How to prevent Monkeypox? 

A monkeypox patient should: Seek medical help Cover their face properly with a mask Avoid close proximity with other people 

 What is the cure to Monkeypox? 

There is no specific treatment which has been discovered for the monkeypox virus. It is medically advised for the patients to stay isolated in a hospital so that the disease does not spread and the symptoms are cured if they reoccur. Smallpox vaccines are used in the US for monkeypox patients which are 85% effective. 

Is Moneypox fatal? 

As reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), places like central Africa having insufficient healthcare facilities, 1 in 10 infected people die if they are prone to the virus. However, in most of the cases patients recover within a span of two to four weeks. 

 MONKEY POX IS NO COVID 

Covid-19 is airborne but monkeypox spreads through prolonged physical contact with a patient. Covid-19 is more transmissible. Monkeypox is not highly transmissible. Covid-19 invited mass lockdowns. Monkeypox is unlikely to. 

PRECAUTIONS AT AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL 

 Exercising caution at an individual level while travelling to countries where cases of monkeypox have increased, following basic protocol as far as hygiene is concerned and avoiding sex with multiple partners will help. The WHO is still studying the mode of transmission and it would be advisable to continue using the mask