Doctor Malcolm Paul Agius Galea took to Facebook to address some concerns being raised by the reports of the spreading of monkeypox. ‘Monkeypox is a sickness caused by a virus which comes from the same family of viruses as small pox (which was eradicated with a vaccine)’ he said.
He explained how we’ve known about this virus for around 50 years and it is called monkeypox because the first time it was noted was in a group of monkeys being used in research. ‘However, it has nothing to do with monkeys!’
‘It is a sickness which impacts everyone and one could be infected with it for around 14 days before symptoms start to appear. During these first 14 days, an infected person would not be able to spread it around.’ Some of the symptoms include fatigue, fever, inflamed lymph nodes and a subsequent rash. It is at this stage that the virus becomes infective and treatment is more aimed at the lessening of symptoms rather than cure.
After the rash dries up, the person remains able to spread it until the last bits of the rash fall off. It is transmitted through direct contact with the infected person or indirect contact with liquids coming from the person (towels or bedsheets). The symptoms of monkeypox resemble chickenpox but vary in the fact that monkeypox results in the inflammation of the lymph nodes. It usually takes up to two to three weeks for the infection to pass and no long term effects on the body have been reported.
‘Even though it is important to stay informed about the virus, it is also crucial that one is informed well about the virus and that no excess alarm is caused’.
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