While Monkeypox is a concern, is it spreading at a rate that should concern the world at large?

BY ADRIAN REECE

COVID-19 shutdown the world for a few years and the reality of a pandemic now sits firmly in the minds and memories of people in every country. Fear and uncertainty replaced my disinterest and adaptability in the face of COVID-19. Humanity has carefully adapted to the realities of the disease.

Now another potential pandemic is on the rise. Facing the rise of monkeypox, which exploded all around the world in 2022. According to the WHO (World Health Organization), it is a public health emergency of international concern. While the mortality rate of Monkeypox has been 3-6% it has been as high as 11% historically. The infection ranges from less severe to deadly. Currently, the less deadly strain is the one that is circulating the globe.

There are two main strains of monkeypox: Clade 1 and Clade 2. Clade 1 is more deadly and causes severe illness and death. Some outbreaks have killed up to 10% of people who get sick. The Clade 1 is endemic around central Africa.

Most cases of Monkeypox get better on their own, so people generally do not seek treatment. It can last up to 21 days with weaker immune systems having trouble fighting off the infection and therefore remaining with it for a longer period.

These factors wouldn’t normally worry us, however after enduring the lockdown of COVID-19, any mention of a potential pandemic worries people. We as a citizen begin to think about what measures we will potentially have to take and how it is going to impact our lives going forward. The vaccines or medicine that we will be coerced into taking, in the face of losing our jobs, livelihoods, homes and autonomy. The word pandemic is now synonymous with control and a loss of freedom, especially in Western society where we enjoy the benefits of freedom in every aspect of our lives. Once you have enough money to do what you want, the West becomes a veritable amusement park where everything is your way.

People are skeptical in the face of pandemic precautions and direction. The Covid information and mandates that were given out, ended up proving conspiracy theories correct. Mask mandates, six feet apart, and quarantining were measures we were forced to take. Vaccines that ultimately did not protect the recipient in the manner that they were supposed to further break down the trust in public medicine. Any measures that the CDC (Centre for Disease Control), or WHO attempts to implement in the face of a Monkeypox pandemic, or any pandemic will be met with pushback, as people are not in a hurry to give up their rights and freedoms again especially if there is too much controversy surrounding the disease itself.

While Monkeypox is a concern, is it spreading at a rate that should concern the world at large? The WHO and CDC have lost a lot of trust from the world as a whole, therefore it is harder to trust their judgment in the face of new medical dangers. Losing the trust of the people can be dangerous, but it may be even more dangerous to continue to put our faith in organizations that have lied to the world, and potentially profit off of the needs of people. Vaccine companies and the pharmaceutical companies that are intertwined in the “well-being” of society in regards to a Global pandemic will always leave room for skepticism and distrust.