Last week, the World Health Organization issued a public health emergency over a new strain of mpox that is spreading in several African countries. Some headlines about the illness even call it “the next COVID-19,” but how much do you really need to worry about it?
“I don’t think that people living here in the U.S. need to be overly concerned,” said Dr. David Diemert, a professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Diemert, who also leads the school’s vaccine research unit, said the action by the WHO is intended to mobilize action in Africa and its neighboring continents. While one case of the new strain, “clade I,” has been found in Europe, none have been reported in North America at the time of this reporting.
“I don’t think we need to be freaking out that it could be the next COVID, primarily because of how it’s transmitted,” Diemert said.
The illness, which usually is diagnosed by a telltale rash that looks like pimples or blisters, is not transmitted by an infected person breathing out the virus, like COVID, according to Diemert. Instead, you need to have close, physical contact with someone to get it.
It is commonly spread through direct physical or intimate contact, with many cases reported in gay or bisexual men who have sex with men, though others can contract the virus.
“It’s much more difficult to get than COVID, so it’s not going to spread as fast, by any means,” he said.
He said the virus can also be transferred from handling infected animals. That transmission is believed to be behind some cases involving children in rural parts of Africa, according to Diemert.
Should the illness arrive in the United States, Diemert said the currently offered mpox vaccine will cover the new strain. It is given in two doses, taken one month apart.
While not officially recommended, Diemert said people traveling to African regions that are experiencing the outbreak should consider getting the vaccine, especially those who a part of high-risk populations.
He also pointed out a version of the virus that arrived in the United States in 2022 continues to show up in patients around the nation.
More information on the virus can be found on the CDC’s website.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
