Updated: 8/23/2022

Monkeypox

Is it serious?

Monkeypox has been around for years and is an endemic in certain countries. Supposedly, a smallpox vaccine can prevent infection with 85 to 95 percent effectiveness and in 2019, Jynneos, a monkeypox vaccine, was approved in the U.S (“Monkeypox Update: FDA Authorizes Emergency Use of JYNNEOS Vaccine to Increase Vaccine Supply”).

However, it has recently been spreading quite rapidly throughout the world (which is unusual for this virus), but I personally think it’s too soon to know whether or not it could be another global pandemic like COVID-19. At this time many sources say it has a low probability of spreading given the difficult human-to-human transmission and the fact that it’s a DNA virus whereas COVID-19 is a RNA virus.

Since it is a virus and to my knowledge, it may be able to mutate if it can exponentially spread and become more easily transmittable. If this does happen, then it could indeed be somewhat like COVID-19 but again, it’s just too early to tell.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: COVID-19 was a RNA virus. Monkeypox is a DNA virus. RNA viruses are more easily spreadable and can mutate easier. This fact means it is structurally much different than COVID-19.

Some alarming news:

US buys millions of Monkeypox vaccines after Massachusetts confirms case:

https://nypost.com/2022/05/19/us-buys-millions-of-monkeypox-vaccines-after-massachusetts-case/

To track the spread of the virus, these links can be of use:

https://bnonews.com/monkeypox/

https://ilpandacentrostudio.it/uk.html

Works Cited