“So the initial part of the monkeypox disease is identical to the flu, identical to COVID,” said an expert.
As cases of monkeypox increase in parts of the world, many British Columbians have sought information on the symptoms of the rare virus – but experts say it may be difficult to identify in its early stages.
On the one hand, the early symptoms of monkeypox are similar to a huge range of other viruses. In the early stages of the infection, people may experience fever, chills, intense headaches, back pain, or severe fatigue. These symptoms are present in the stages of flu, coronavirus, colds, shingles, chickenpox, strep throat, pneumonia and many other viral and bacterial infections, so it can be difficult to determine what is wrong.
No matter what infection you have, a local expert says that your behavior should remain the same if you feel unwell: you should stay home.
Anyone who shows severe symptoms should go to the hospital, but most people who are sick should isolate themselves and contact their doctor to determine the next steps.
After the incubation phase of viral infections, the body begins to fight infection during the prodromal phase, explains Dr. Brian Conway, medical director at the Center for Infectious Diseases in Vancouver (VIDC). During this phase, the symptoms are not specific to the virus that someone has been infected with (that’s why so many viruses start with “flu-like” symptoms).
“So all viral diseases during this viral phase of the disease, when the virus reproduces in the body, when the body starts to react to it, you don’t feel well, you have headaches, muscle aches,” he told Vancouver Is Awesome in telephone interview.
“You have a fever [and] you feel very lethargic, so it’s a flu-like illness. So the initial part of the monkeypox disease is identical to the flu, identical to COVID, and identical to many viral infections that we watch all the time. “
Monkeypox Canada: What to keep in mind
Conway, who is also an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapy at the University of British Columbia, adds that the risk of contracting monkeypox in BC is also quite low.
In other words, there is no cause for concern.
“But one thing we’ve learned in the world of COVID is that if you’re sick, stay away from other people and stay home,” he said. “We need to be concerned when a new pathogen is identified in the community. That should be a cause for concern. “
While flu-like symptoms are indicative of many infections, monkeypox rash can also be confused with several other diseases. Part of this confusion lies in the different ways in which it is presented to humans, as well as in the limited epidemiological and laboratory information.
Some people may confuse it with another virus, such as chickenpox, because it starts with a fever and then develops into blisters on the skin that accumulate and disappear, Conway explains. Although quite different, they are similar enough that it can cause confusion for someone who develops symptoms.
The World Health Organization assesses the current global risk of the rare virus as “moderate”, given that it is spreading for the first time in large clusters without “direct direct links to travel to areas that have long suffered from monkeypox”.
Examine everything you need to know about monkeypox, including the symptoms, how the virus spreads, and what BC residents need to know.
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