MNKYPOX Monkeypox - Consolidated Thread.

SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

Has No Life - Lives on TB
jward said:
Bay Area health officials scramble to contain monkeypox outbreak
Erin Allday
July 3, 2022Updated: July 3, 2022 4:34 p.m.

Pressure is mounting on Bay Area health officials to make monkeypox vaccines, such as Jynneos, more widely available to limit the spread of the virus.
1of3
Pressure is mounting on Bay Area health officials to make monkeypox vaccines, such as Jynneos, more widely available to limit the spread of the virus.
Bill O’Leary / Getty Images
Clinical lab scientist Naomi Iwai prepares to test for the monkeypox virus at the Stanford Clinical Virology Laboratory.


A lab worker holds a tube used to test for the monkeypox virus at the Stanford Clinical Virology Laboratory.







Monkeypox cases have more than doubled over the past week in California and the Bay Area, where health officials are joining a global scramble to contain the outbreak while the virus still circulates in limited social networks.


California had reported 95 monkeypox cases as of Friday, up from 40 the week before, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 460 cases have been reported nationwide as of Friday, up from 150 the week before.


In the Bay Area, more than two dozen confirmed or suspected cases have already been reported, with 16 in San Francisco alone as of Friday, though that number is updated only once a week and is almost certainly higher by now, health officials said.

The infectious disease, a cousin of smallpox, manifests itself as skin lesions and is spread by intimate, person-to-person contact. Most people recover fully without treatment, but monkeypox can cause severe illness in children and some other vulnerable groups. Even for those who aren’t seriously sick, it can take weeks to get over and cause discomfort and pain.

Almost all cases so far have been reported among gay or bisexual men, most of whom are believed to have been exposed through sexual or other close contact with someone who was infected. The risk to the general public remains very low, local and federal health officials say.

More for you

Monkeypox is nothing like COVID, and is not currently — and almost certainly never will be — a threat at the same crisis level, experts say. But the outbreak is at a critical stage where health officials have an opportunity to stamp it out before cases spread further and potentially affect more vulnerable people.

“Monkeypox is not the same scale of a problem (as COVID). That said, if there’s an opportunity to control an emerging disease, it’s important we try to do it,” said Dr. Seth Blumberg, an infectious disease expert at UCSF. “We can’t blow this off. We need the political and societal will to control the disease now.”

It’s possible that monkeypox, if allowed to widely circulate, could become endemic in the United States and threaten the general population, though many health experts said that outcome is unlikely given the nature of the virus and how it spreads, plus the existence of effective vaccines to stop it.

Monkeypox also could establish itself as a recurring threat that triggers fresh outbreaks every few years, especially if it becomes embedded in U.S. animal populations. Or it could join the ranks of sexually transmitted infections, including syphilis and gonorrhea, that affect certain communities and have proved stubborn to control.

“It will suck if monkeypox joins the list of STIs that people have to worry about,” said San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who has called for a hearing this month to discuss the city’s public health response to monkeypox. “We need to be moving quickly on vaccination and stopping the spread now.”

In the Bay Area, pressure is mounting on health officials to make vaccines — which for monkeypox, can work before and after exposure to the virus — more broadly available, and to conduct more widespread surveillance to quickly determine whether the disease spreads beyond the communities currently affected.

Most testing is being done by state laboratories, which confirm results with the CDC. Stanford began providing laboratory testing for monkeypox two weeks ago in anticipation that the outbreak and demand for surveillance could grow quickly, said Dr. Benjamin Pinsky, head of the Stanford Clinical Viral Laboratory.

Vaccination efforts around the country are currently held up by lack of supply. Two vaccines are authorized for prevention of monkeypox, though the preferred product — called Jynneos — is in much shorter supply. The second vaccine, called ACAM2000, has side effects that for some people could be worse than the illness itself.

The U.S. last week announced plans to rapidly ramp up its vaccination efforts with Jynneos. So far, about 66,000 doses have been delivered to states with monkeypox cases; an additional 240,000 doses are expected to go out in the coming weeks, and at least 1.6 million total doses should be available by the end of the year, according to the CDC. On Friday, the U.S. Health and Human Services Agency said it had ordered an additional 2.5 million doses, which will be available at the end of this year and in 2023.

California, which has about a quarter of all cases in the U.S., expected to receive about 15,000 doses by the end of last week or early this week. Jynneos is administered in two doses given 28 days apart.

Bay Area counties reported receiving anywhere from 10 doses to more than 500, in San Francisco. That’s not enough to offer vaccination to everyone who might want it, so local health officials say they are targeting only those with a known exposure at the moment. That includes people identified through contact tracing of reported cases, people who hear informally that a partner was recently diagnosed, or those who attended an event or venue associated with one or more monkeypox cases.

“We don’t have enough for everybody,” said Frank Strona, the incident management lead for the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s monkeypox response. Strona said more than 200 doses had been administered in the city as of Friday morning. “We anticipate more batches every few days,” he said.

Once more vaccine becomes available, officials said, they hope to offer it to people at risk of becoming infected but who don’t necessarily have a known exposure. The vaccine may not ever be needed for the general public if the outbreak is contained.

Monkeypox tends to cause flu-like symptoms and a trademark rash, with dense, fluid-filled lesions. Most people are sick for two to four weeks and don’t need treatment, though a few drugs are available for severe cases. Worldwide, a handful of deaths have been reported this year, but none in the U.S.

This year’s global outbreak, which has so far infected more than 5,000 people, has baffled infectious disease experts who have never seen the virus spread much beyond the West African countries where it’s endemic. The United States would typically see a few travel-associated cases every few years, but previously had reported only one outbreak: In 2003, 47 cases were identified, all linked to rodents imported from Ghana.

It’s not clear why monkeypox suddenly took off, though experts suspect it may be a combination of the virus mutating to become more transmissible and finding traction in groups where it could spread quickly and easily.

Monkeypox transmits primarily through direct, sustained contact. People are most at risk if they are exposed to the fluid inside lesions, for example by touching the rash of an infected person or sharing bedding or towels with someone who’s infected. The virus can also pass from person to person through respiratory droplets, but only at close range — it doesn’t spread through the air of restaurants and grocery stores.

In the U.S., 271 of the first 305 cases were in men, and more than 70% were men who have sex with men, according to the CDC. Several large clusters have been traced to events or venues — including private sex parties and clubs or bathhouses — where people had sex with multiple partners.

“A small number of people have a large number of sexual contacts, and that can cause very rapid and early spread,” said Dr. Jason Andrews, an infectious disease expert at Stanford. “But it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be sustained that way.”

Health officials note that unlike with HIV and some other sexually transmitted infections, there’s no connection between particular sexual practices and the spread of monkeypox — the virus just happens to have taken root first in gay networks. It can spread as easily among heterosexual partners, or among close household contacts.

Andrews said he suspects the global outbreak may be starting to slow after weeks of explosive growth. He and other infectious disease experts noted that because of a long incubation period for monkeypox, cases being diagnosed now are probably from exposure one or two weeks earlier.

The possibility remains for the virus to get a foothold in the broader population. “The most concerning outcome would be if it spreads more broadly as an endemic infection across all ages, or through casual contact routes,” Andrews said. “I don’t think we have strong evidence of that happening right now, but we have to prepare for it.”
www.sfchronicle.com

Bay Area health officials scramble to contain monkeypox outbreak

Health officials join a global scramble to contain monkeypox outbreak as cases more than doubled over the past week.
www.sfchronicle.com www.sfchronicle.com
Click to expand...

Thanks, jward. Very informative.
 
phloydius

phloydius

Veteran Member
Hum. I have not read about liver issues yet, but that makes sense (especially if it is too many pain killers). Although this person has HIV, which probably has an effect.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1543917385022947329
View: https://twitter.com/HarunTulunay/status/1543917385022947329


https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1543939836108832769
View: https://twitter.com/HarunTulunay/status/1543939836108832769


Harun Tulunay
@HarunTulunay
Bloods done. My consultants visited me earlier.
#monkeypox looks under control after more than 3 weeks.
If my liver is also under control, they may send me home today. If not, I will be around here until my liver is tamed.

----------------

Harun Tulunay
@HarunTulunay
Not enough data on that. It could be meds. I had huge amount of meds in the past weeks. Antibiotics, antivirals, many pain killers etc. Those may elevate liver functions. I am off all of it for 2 days, only taking mpx and hiv treatments. Today's blood should give a brief opinion.
 
psychgirl

psychgirl

Has No Life - Lives on TB
phloydius said:
Hum. I have not read about liver issues yet, but that makes sense (especially if it is too many pain killers). Although this person has HIV, which probably has an effect.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1543917385022947329
View: https://twitter.com/HarunTulunay/status/1543917385022947329


https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1543939836108832769
View: https://twitter.com/HarunTulunay/status/1543939836108832769


Harun Tulunay
@HarunTulunay
Bloods done. My consultants visited me earlier.
#monkeypox looks under control after more than 3 weeks.
If my liver is also under control, they may send me home today. If not, I will be around here until my liver is tamed.

----------------

Harun Tulunay
@HarunTulunay
Not enough data on that. It could be meds. I had huge amount of meds in the past weeks. Antibiotics, antivirals, many pain killers etc. Those may elevate liver functions. I am off all of it for 2 days, only taking mpx and hiv treatments. Today's blood should give a brief opinion.
Click to expand...
He’s been taking heavy amounts of drugs.
But yes, those HIV meds are really hard on the body too, so he’s got double troubles for his liver.
 
phloydius

phloydius

Veteran Member
Loretta Van Riet

Loretta Van Riet

Trying to hang out with the cool kids.
OMG, that is all I can say. No one even wanted to test her!!!!!!
www.tiktok.com

Halle on TikTok

the truth about #monkeypox what ive been dealing with all week. sad how hard you have to advocate for yourself in this country. #unitedstates #covid #pittsburghpa #pennsylvania #pittsburgh #cdc #departmentofhealth
www.tiktok.com www.tiktok.com
 
Tristan

Tristan

Has No Life - Lives on TB
phloydius said:
Higher. My mid-case expectation is that we'll see over 10,000 by end of Friday.

My mid-case is the one I put in Post #2,271 and is what I'm thinking it would take to expect the beginning of smaller restrictions to start in late August, and lockdown-like-events to start in the first cities in the second half of September continuing all the way thru at least mid-November.
Click to expand...


Your projections listed in the post referenced above are tracking real close to my WAG.

My WAG's methodology is simple: it appears to be doubling about every 10 days or so.

Anyone can do that math.

Also, I try to keep in mind that the numbers lag the reality - both in actual infected and those that have been exposed and have not yet shown any symptoms. My WAG there is 5x - 10x number of 'Cases' are the likely number of exposed, though not necessarily infected.
 
helen

helen

Panic Sex Lady
Advocates warn US at risk of losing control on monkeypox | WVNS

The Hill) – Infectious disease experts and public health advocates are warning that the Biden administration has been too slow to respond to the monkeypox outbreak, and the U.S. is at risk of losing control of the disease.

The response to monkeypox is mirroring the worst parts of the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, they say, with severely limited testing and a sluggish rollout of vaccines leading to a virus that’s spreading undetected.

“Where we have lagged is streamlining testing, making vaccines available, streamlining access to the best therapeutics. All three areas have been bureaucratic and slow, and that means we haven’t contained this outbreak,” said David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD).

Unlike COVID-19, monkeypox is not a novel virus, and the strategies to reduce the spread are well known. Biden administration officials said they are confident in their approach.

“We as a global community have known about it for decades. We know how it spreads. We have tests that help identify people who are infected. We have vaccines that are highly effective against it,” White House coronavirus response coordinator Ashish Jha said during a recent briefing.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 460 cases in 30 states, Puerto Rico and D.C., though experts say that number is almost certainly an undercount, as many people who may be infected don’t yet have access to widespread testing.

The administration is ramping up its response by expanding testing capacity and broadening access to vaccinations, though critics say the efforts may be coming too late.

“We’ve been sort of screaming for a month about how bad the diagnostic situation is for monkeypox. And that really was a clear error, preventable and it’s very clear that this administration has not learned lessons from early COVID,” said James Krellenstein, co-founder of the HIV treatment advocacy group Prep4All.

Jon Andrus, an adjunct professor of global health at George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health, said the U.S. is lucky that monkeypox is not as contagious as COVID-19, or as deadly, because the public health system is underfunded and overly fractured.

“I think we’ll continue to repeat these mistakes because that’s been our track record. That’s been our track record. We’ve had, what, more than five or six waves of COVID, and we seem every time to be a little bit caught off guard,” Andrus said. “Stopping transmission requires that we’re all reading from the same page. We all have the same roadmap.”

The administration expanded testing to commercial labs in late June, so providers will soon be able to order tests directly from the labs where they have established


www.wvnstv.com

Advocates warn US at risk of losing control on monkeypox

Infectious disease experts and public health advocates are warning that the Biden administration has been too slow to respond to the monkeypox outbreak, and the U.S. is at risk of losing control of…
www.wvnstv.com
 
SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

Has No Life - Lives on TB
There are still 4 important questions that still go unanswered by those who should know. They should also be willing to put this important information out there. I have no idea why they don't or won't. Knowing the factual answers to these 4 questions could take a lot of the fear out for a lot of people, IMHO.

First. How many of the thousands of cases were vaccinated as a child for smallpox? Second. Has anyone who was vaxxed for smallpox contracted it?

Third. How many of the thousands of cases were vaccinated for COVID? Fourth. Has anyone that was not vaxxed for COVID contracted it?

I was vaccinated for smallpox as a child, and I did not receive any of the COVID vaxes. I would really like to know if that makes me immune to this. I'm sure there are many others out there who fall into this same category as myself. It's just insane that we can't get a straight answer.
 
Last edited:
SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Luddite said:
:D With current empirical evidence,
you are insane to expect a straight answer.
Click to expand...

Well, it makes me think those who know the answers are deliberately witholding the information for a reason. Most everything I read here and everywhere else on the net is just to cause widespread fear and panic. If there are people who are immune to this disease, we should be allowed to know about it. Maybe, that widespread fear and panic is their goal?
 
Tristan

Tristan

Has No Life - Lives on TB
SouthernBreeze said:
Well, it makes me think those who know the answers are deliberately witholding the information for a reason. Most everything I read here and everywhere else on the net is just to cause widespread fear and panic. If there are people who are immune to this disease, we should be allowed to know about it. Maybe, that widespread fear and panic is their goal?
Click to expand...


It has been thus all through the CV experience - the data was munged.
Whether through mere incompetence, or purposefully, it's munged... (though I'm leaning hard toward purposefully...)
 
Meemur

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie / FJB!
My current thinking is still:
-- it's bioweapon
-- there are several different strains
-- it's being seeded

My reaction:
-- Follow the SARS/Covid protocols I've had in place
-- consider adding gloves, N-95 mask, and face shield to those when warranted ( I have them in storage. I'm just not using them right now. )
-- Keep researching the monkey pox vaccine (should I take it if available?)
-- Keep my pantry and critical items in stock and in good order
-- Avoid crowds but spend time outside and continue to strengthen my immune system and body
-- Continue to spend time in prayer and listen to the Lord
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top