“It’s not about Covid”: WHO sees no reason to alarm about monkeypox – knowledge
In view of the unusual spread of monkeypox, the World Health Organization (WHO) is urging various measures, but sees no reason for alarm. “This is not a disease that should worry the public. It’s not about Covid,” said WHO expert Sylvie Briand on Friday in Geneva at a briefing for WHO member countries.
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Nevertheless, states should quickly identify those who are ill and isolate those affected. The WHO assumes that most cases are mild. However, pregnant women, children and people with weak immune systems have a higher risk of a severe course.
“We have a good window of opportunity to stop the transmission now,” said Briand. It is unclear, however, how large the stocks of vaccines against smallpox are, which should also help against monkeypox.
The WHO expects the number of cases to continue to rise. Monkeypox has now appeared in more than 20 countries. “We don’t know if we’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg,” Briand said. According to the information available so far, there is still no clear information about the cause of the current development. (dpa)