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This week on The Daily, we covered the spread of monkeypox — the latest public health crisis. Below, our health and wellness reporters answer some of the questions you submitted about how to stop its spread. |
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Answering your questions about monkeypox |
 | | Monkeypox vaccines being prepared at a nonprofit clinic in Chicago last month.Eric Cox/Reuters |
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Monkeypox, once a relatively obscure virus endemic to parts of Africa, has bloomed into a global threat, infecting more than 20,000 people in 75 countries and forcing the W.H.O. to declare a worldwide health emergency. |
After more than two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, it's understandable that news of a another virus spreading around the world may cause alarm. While health experts say that monkeypox is unlikely to create a scenario similar to that of the coronavirus, many of you still have questions about vaccination efforts and the ways in which monkeypox is spread. Here are some answers. |
Anyone can potentially catch and transmit monkeypox, but the number of cases in women and children has remained relatively small, even as testing has expanded across the globe. |
Currently, the risk to the general population is pretty low. People are unlikely to get monkeypox from being in shared spaces like schools and offices, or by trying on clothes in stores, as some social media posts have suggested, said Dr. Seth Blumberg, an expert in infectious diseases at the University of California, San Francisco. |
In a study of more than 500 cases that were reported in 16 countries between April and June, researchers found that 98 percent of monkeypox cases were among men who have sex with men. Researchers in another study found evidence of monkeypox virus DNA in saliva, urine, feces and semen, but they do not yet know if the virus found there can replicate and infect another individual. |
Some experts and academics are concerned about the stigma that comes with labeling monkeypox a sexually transmitted infection. Others argue that it is important to acknowledge sex as a possible risk factor in order to help those who are most vulnerable right now — men who have sex with men. |
Studies of previous outbreaks suggest that the monkeypox virus is transmitted in three main ways: through direct contact with an infected person's rash, by touching contaminated objects and fabrics, or by respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. There is also evidence that a pregnant woman can spread the virus to her fetus through the placenta. |
Several factors can determine your risk of getting monkeypox, including whether you have cared for someone who is ill, attended packed parties or simply had sex. How close you are to people who are sick, how infectious they are, how much time you spend in their vicinity and how healthy you are may affect your susceptibility, said Dr. Jay Varma, a physician and epidemiologist who specializes in infectious diseases at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. |
As a precaution, some public health experts have suggested that those at risk of monkeypox temporarily reduce their number of sexual partners to lower their risk and avoid sex if they do get sick. The W.H.O. has also updated its guidance to recommend that those who have a confirmed or suspected monkeypox infection use condoms during sex for 12 weeks after they have completely recovered to reduce the chances of spreading monkeypox to partners. |
Prevention is crucial. Two vaccines originally developed for smallpox and kept in the U.S. stockpile can help prevent monkeypox infections. The one that is most commonly used for monkeypox is called Jynneos. It consists of two doses given four weeks apart. But because its supply is limited and is controlled by the federal government, it is not widely available to the public. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who are eligible for vaccination include: |
People who have been identified by public health officials as a contact of someone with monkeypox |
People who may have been exposed to monkeypox, such as: |
- People who are aware that one of their sexual partners in the past two weeks has been diagnosed with monkeypox
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- People who had multiple sexual partners in the past two weeks in an area with known monkeypox cases
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| LEARN MORE, AND LISTEN TO OUR EPISODE: | | | |
 | | Charles Falls Jr. has gone on 55 cruises and counting.Mary Beth Koeth for The New York Times |
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New York Times Opinion's newest show, "First Person," features intimate conversations about the experiences that shape our views. Today's Daily episode is about what it means to live — versus just exist — in our pandemic reality. |
Since the Covid pandemic started, we've all had to make endless decisions about what is worth the risk — eat out or stay home, attend a best friend's wedding or watch the livestream, go on vacation or cancel it (again). But going into Year 3, that calculus has lost its urgency for many people. This summer's chaotic travel season is evidence enough. |
For Charles Falls Jr., or Chillie, the biggest decision of the past two years has been whether, and when, to start going on cruises again. Before the pandemic, he spent much of his time at sea on cruise ships. With their buffet lines and cramped quarters, cruise ships are many people's idea of a pandemic nightmare — and for Chillie, who has pulmonary disease, they pose a particular risk. But after he'd spent almost two years marooned on land, the real nightmare for Chillie was staying home. |
That's it for the Daily newsletter. See you next week. |
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