But while Covid-19 has killed millions around the world, monkeypox usually disappears after a few weeks. These are very different diseases.
Add the fact that monkeypox is spread primarily through skin-to-skin contact and has so far affected many gay men and other men who have sex with men, raising concerns about stigma influencing the response.
It is certainly true that the lack of access to testing and the slow supply of vaccines have raised questions about what government and public health officials have learned from Covid-19 about how to prepare for the next public health emergency.
Note: CNN’s most comprehensive coverage on Thursday came from Virginia Langmaid and Deirdre McPhillips, and I took much of what follows from there.
What is the scale of this outbreak?
Monkeypox traditionally occurs in 11 countries in tropical Africa. The new, alarming development is that this year it has spread across the globe in an unprecedented manner.
There have been previous documented cases in the U.S., including two in 2021, but nothing on the scale of this current outbreak, which has surpassed 1,000 documented cases in the U.S., according to the CDC.
The most documented cases have occurred in Europe: in Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom.
The CDC’s map of documented U.S. cases shows it has spread across the country in all but a handful of states.
The most affected states include California, New York and Illinois, as well as Washington, DC.
What’s the worst case scenario?
The fear is that monkeypox could spread to the wider US population and a global epidemic could make the virus permanent.
Monkeypox can be dangerous and even fatal in certain people, such as those with weakened immune systems.
What are the symptoms?
It can take up to two weeks for symptoms to develop. They often start with high fever, chills and swollen lymph nodes. Then, extremely painful red, fluid-filled bumps can form, often on the genitals, but can also be all over the body.
Read more about symptoms from CNN Health. And look at one man’s warning: You don’t want to get this disease.
The true distribution is probably much wider
The true extent of the outbreak in the US is probably unknown. Read this NPR report on how difficult it was for a person suspected of having monkeypox to get tested in New York City last month.
Why was it so hard to take a test?
Even someone who really wants to get a test often has to put in the time and energy to get it.
Langmaid and McPhillips report how two different men went in repeatedly for testing. Here is an excerpt from their story:
Christian Redondo, a graduate student in Atlanta, noticed a wound and called the local health board, which said it doesn’t do tests, and referred him to a primary care physician.
His primary care doctor told him to go to the emergency room to get tested, but Redondo was able to connect with a friend at the county health department who said yes, in fact, he should go there for a test.
“Then I was in the waiting room for, I don’t know, about four or five o’clock. It was a very long time. And when I asked them about it, they said they had to wait for permission from the CDC to even test me for monkeypox,” he said.
How will the testing problem be solved?
The CDC said it will now work with five private companies to expand access to testing. That will help, according to Dr. Saju Mathew, a primary care physician and CNN medical analyst who spoke with New Day over the weekend.
But the lack of testing is not simply a matter of capacity, he said.
“I think it’s really a combination of lack of access, the fact that many doctors are uncomfortable with the diagnosis. And keep in mind, the monkeypox rash…looks a lot like the rash of someone who has shingles or chickenpox. So there are a lot of different challenges to overcome.”
He also talks about the danger of stigma associated with this disease. It is mostly spread in the gay community, but anyone can get it.
“We need to be careful not to stigmatize the disease and prevent people who are not really open about their sexuality from seeking care,” Matthew said.
What about the vaccine?
Although the Covid-19 vaccine is entirely preventative, the monkeypox vaccine can be used both for those in high-risk groups and for people who think they may have been exposed. It’s called the Jynneos vaccine and it’s made by Bavarian Nordic in Denmark.
It is becoming difficult or impossible to find in many parts of the US. Doses are looted as soon as they are distributed by city and state. New shipments from Denmark are expected soon, according to the White House.
Policymakers and public health officials are trying to get creative to expand access to the vaccine, which is usually two doses spread over four weeks. New York City Mayor Eric Adams suggested in a letter to the White House that a one-dose starter course be allowed to vaccinate more people.
This is an idea that Bavarian Nordic also proposed.
A global concern
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization refused to designate monkeypox as a public health emergency of international concern back in June. Now that cases are on the rise, the agency will revisit that decision at a meeting next week.
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