Right as people thought their lives were slowly going back to the way they were before Covid-19, another disease has created fear: Monkeypox. Due to its swollen lymph nodes, as confirmed cases arose in Europe, conspiracy theories at levels of “horror stories” spread on social media, similar to the stories of covid-19 in early 2020.  However, many experts have disproved the stories and stated that it is far different from that of Covid-19. 

Monkeypox was initially discovered in a group of monkeys used for scientific purposes in 1958. The first human case was recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo later that year. It has now been discovered in several African nations. Nonetheless, they are still uncommon. That was, however, only until last month. In the United Kingdom, a verified case of monkeypox in a human was reported last month. According to the patient's recent travel history, he was in Nigeria just before flying to the United Kingdom, where he developed the illness. 

CDC- Monkeypox

More than 100 confirmed cases have been reported in Spain and Portugal as a result of the news. The disease has spread to over 30 nations throughout the world in a short period, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has begun to recognize the gravity of the problem. According to studies, spreading monkeypox is as simple as coming into touch with an infected person, animal, or contaminated material. Although it is unknown which animal transmits monkeypox from wildlife to humans, African rats may have functioned as natural carriers of the virus.

Although the symptoms are similar to those of smallpox, there are a few differences. Fever, headache, muscular discomfort, backache, chills, and tiredness are common symptoms. The lymph nodes that grow up in the phases of monkeypox, as shown in the reference photo below, are what distinguish the two. For the time being, there is no particular therapy for monkeypox infections. Treatments for smallpox, on the other hand, may appear to be advantageous as well, according to specialists. Tecovirimat, often known as TPOXX, is an antiviral drug used to treat orthopoxviruses.

Monkeypox, smallpox, cowpox, horsepox, and camelpox are all illnesses related to this genus. The medicine prevents the virus from spreading between cells. The smallpox vaccination is another option. In the United States, two vaccinations for smallpox are now approved: ACAM200 and JYNNEOS. ACAM200 is a replication-competent vaccine, which means that the virus grows at the injection site and causes a localized infection. The vaccination strengthens a person's immune system over a few weeks, allowing antibodies to form that is resistant to the smallpox virus. JYNNEOS, on the other hand, is a vaccination that does not replicate. It prevents the illness by eliciting humoral and cellular immune responses to orthopoxviruses.

Monkeypox will be handled like a second-class infectious illness, similar to Covid-19, beginning June 8th, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. People are hoping that the sickness does not worsen into a bigger concern than it is currently.
  
 

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