Here we go again? Monkeypox is now an emergency, according to the World Health Organization
Lesson summary
Hi everyone, I’m Jeff and this is Plain English lesson number 495. Coming up today: “Respiratory droplets,” virus, transmission rates, quarantine, self-isolate, spreading, case counts, death rates. The vocabulary is back, but not for COVID; this time, it’s monkeypox. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about the latest virus to spread around the world. In the second half of today’s lesson, I’ll show you what it means to “clamor for” something. And we have a song of the week.
But first. Preparations are well underway for our 500th-lesson celebration, which will take place live on Facebook and Instagram on September 3. It’s going to be the morning here, 8 am in Chicago and Mexico City, 9 am in New York, 10 am in Brazil, 4 pm in most of Europe, and evening time in Asia.
It will be on Instagram and Facebook. So pick the one you like the best and connect with us on there. I made it so easy: just go to PlainEnglish.com/500. That will take you straight to our profiles. Follow us on Instagram and join the Facebook group. We will be promoting the live stream on there, but remember the big day is September 3.
Monkeypox outbreak spreads from Europe to the Americas
Three diseases in English end with -pox. Smallpox, a very deadly and very transmissible virus, killed millions of people over three thousand years. It was finally eradicated in 1980, thanks to vaccines.
Chickenpox is a much less serious viral disease that typically infects children; once you get it, you’re immune for life. About 95 percent of American adults have had it, for reference. A chickenpox vaccine has spared most of today’s youngsters from the itchy outbreaks we all suffered decades ago.
But now another virus from the same family is spreading around the world. This one, in English, is called “monkeypox.” The outbreak is new, but the virus, and the disease, are not new.
The virus was first discovered in a laboratory in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1958. At the time, it was present in a colony of monkeys; that’s why this pox-family disease is called monkeypox today. But scientists believe it has been present in many types of animals for thousands of years.
Monkeypox first emerged in humans in Africa in 1970. Since then, it has been somewhat common in Central and Western African nations, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic. In all those countries, it is considered endemic. Scientists in Africa have been studying the disease for years. It has been recorded in Europe before, though outbreaks have been limited. Those cases were all linked to international travel or illegally imported animals.
This outbreak is different. The first cases in the current outbreak were reported in Europe in May of this year. It has now spread around the globe. When I researched this lesson at the end of July, there had been 20,000 cases reported in 78 countries. Europe has been the epicenter of the outbreak so far, with the Americas second. The U.S., Brazil, and Canada reported the most cases in the Americas, while Spain, Germany, and the UK had the most in Europe.
The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern.” That declaration asked countries to coordinate a global response, including education, prevention, treatment, and vaccines.
Monkeypox is typically not fatal, but it can lead to death in patients that have other health challenges, such as a compromised immune system.
Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headaches, muscle aches, and a lack of energy. But the worst is the blisters. It can develop on any part of the body, including your face, feet, hands, mouth, and intimate areas. The rash can last for two to four weeks and usually goes away on its own. But while it’s present, a person can spread it through physical contact, whether from direct contact with the rash or from saliva. Not to give you déjà vu, but it can also be spread from respiratory droplets, though not as easily as COVID-19.
Monkeypox isn’t considered a sexually-transmitted disease, but it can be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, such as during sexual activity. About 95 percent of the cases reported outside of Africa are among gay and bisexual men, typically in their 20s to 40s. That population is at the highest risk right now; however, anyone can get it, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. It can spread among members of a household, and women and children have been infected.
There are several vaccines, most of them based on the existing vaccines for smallpox. Some of the vaccines are estimated to be 85 percent effective against monkeypox, though none have been tested specifically during this outbreak.
People in vulnerable populations are clamoring for the vaccine. Long lines outside vaccination clinics formed in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and other cities with large gay populations; there is far more demand than supply right now. Aside from getting a vaccine, doctors are advising patients to avoid situations with a lot of skin-to-skin contact, such as dance clubs and concerts.
Preparations for 500
I told you earlier we’ll be doing a live celebration of our 500th lesson on Instagram and Facebook. I’ve never done a live stream of any kind before. I’ve ordered some new equipment. We’ll have two microphones here, one for me, one for JR. I’m researching how to stream to two places at once—that’s interesting. JR is in charge of the decorations. And yes, there will be decorations!
This is going to be fun. If you want to see all the details, remember to go to PlainEnglish.com/500. You’ll see the date, the time, the platforms, all that. You can enter the giveaway—that’s exciting. And you can be part of the 500th-lesson video. That’s all waiting for you at PlainEnglish.com/500.
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