Arushi Bidhuri
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Written By: Arushi Bidhuri | Updated : May 25, 2022 12:30 PM IST
Almost 100 cases of the Monkeypox virus have been reported in several parts of the world. The disease has yet again raised concerns about a possible pandemic that might await us. Dr Nilam Jain Kothari, Consultant Dermatologist, Masina Hospital, Mumbai says, "Monkeypox is a rare disease which is caused by the monkeypox virus. It is found normally in Africa and the rainforests of Africa."
Dr Kothari added, "Symptoms include fever, headache or rash on the skin and flu-like symptoms, enlargement of lymph nodes. Symptoms normally start around one to two weeks after infection when a person develops fever, headache and backache. And he or she feels extremely ill, having nausea and severe abdominal pain, and after two or three days, they develop a rash, red spots on the face and in the mouth, which spreads through the body, trunk, legs, hands and feet. And they are very contagious for the first seven to 10 days. And after infection that rash becomes a pustule which is filled with pus. And then gradually they scale off."
"They may affect the other parts of the body like lungs, brain or bone. It is fatal in the second week, whoever survives is left with large disfiguring scars," added the expert.
Dr Kothari points out, "As per WHO monkeypox has already spread to 12 countries confirming 92 cases so far hence India definitely needs to keep a watch on the threat that can be posed by the disease as monkeypox is a viral infection which may spread to other countries in no time and India could be one of them."
While some parts of the world are seeing a sudden increase in the cases of monkeypox, experts are saying that is unlikely to become a COVID-like pandemic. Dr Faheem Younus, Vice President and Chief Officer at the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health recently tweeted, "monkeypox cases are concerning but the risk of this becoming a COVID like pandemic is ZERO%."
He further stated the reasons why this virus will not become a pandemic:
Monkeypox cases are concerning but the risk of this becoming a COVID like pandemic is ZERO%
Why? This virus: - is NOT novel - is typically not deadly - is less contagious than COVID - has been around for 5 decades - is prevented by smallpox vaccine Stay calm folks:) Faheem Younus, MD (@FaheemYounus) May 23, 2022
