WASHINGTON, D.C. — Worldwide attention recently given to Monkeypox has taken social media by storm.
With the public interest in the virus, large amounts of disinformation have begun to circulate after the World Health Organization shared an “Emergency Situational Update” for men who, according to the WHO, “have sex with other men.”
Popular social media sites like Facebook, and TikTok, have allowed fear-mongering within the LGBTI community. One Facebook page polled its readers, asking how concerned are they regarding “Monkeypox”. One person responded, citing the WHO, as “I’m not a man, and I’m not gay, so I have no concern at all.”
According to the Center for Disease Control, Monkeypox is not relegated to gay men. Dr. John Brooks, Chief Medical Officer for the CDC’s HIV/ AIDS Division told CNN, “Some groups may have a greater chance of exposure right now, but by no means is the current risk of exposure to monkeypox exclusively to the gay and bisexual community in the US.” He went on to say, “Anyone, anyone, can develop and spread monkeypox infection.”
Matthew Kavanagh, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director said, “Stigma and blame undermine trust and capacity to respond effectively during outbreaks like this one. He added, “Experience shows that stigmatizing rhetoric can quickly disable evidence-based response by stoking cycles of fear, driving people away from health services, impeding efforts to identify cases, and encouraging ineffective, punitive measures”.
Experts say the current cases of Monkeypox in multiple countries and the increased media frenzy are eerily similar to the 1980s AIDS epidemic coverage. Some warn that fearmongering against members of the LGBTQ community could result from the recent WHO publication and disinformation across social media.
So what is Monkeypox? According to the CDC, Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 after cases of the virus erupted in research monkeys. The first human case of the virus would not be seen until 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The virus health experts say is extremely rare. Symptoms, according to the CDC, are similar to a mild case of smallpox.
“The illness begins with:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Backache
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Chills
- Exhaustion
Within 1 to 3 days (sometimes longer) after the appearance of fever, the patient develops a rash, often beginning on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body.
Lesions progress through the following stages before falling off:
- Macules
- Papules
- Vesicles
- Pustules
- Scabs
The illness typically lasts for 2−4 weeks. In Africa, monkeypox has been shown to cause death in as many as 1 in 10 persons who contract the disease.”
As of Tuesday, 19 confirmed cases of the Monkeypox have been found in the United States.
