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New Delhi: Amid growing fears over the outbreak of the Monkeypox virus in several countries, a top US doctor sought to allay people’s apprehension that the rare viral disease might cause COVID-19 like pandemic.
Dr Faheem Younus, Chief Quality Officer and Chief of Infectious Diseases at the University of Maryland, in a tweet, said that Monkeypox cases are concerning but the risk of this becoming a COVID-like pandemic is zero.
Urging people to “stay calm”, the US health expert shared a list of five reasons to back his claim that the possibility of Monkeypox outbreak becoming a COVID-like pandemic is nil.
The doctor said that unlike (like) COVID, Monkeypox virus is not “novel and deadly” and can be prevented by smallpox vaccine. He also said that the rare viral disease is less infectious than coronavirus.
“Monkeypox cases are concerning but the risk of this becoming a COVID like pandemic is ZERO% Why? This virus: – is NOT novel… – is typically not deadly – is less contagious than COVID – has been around for 5 decades – is prevented by smallpox vaccine Stay calm folks:),” he said in his tweet.
A recent Lancet study said that some antiviral medications might have the potential to shorten symptoms of monkeypox and reduce the amount of time a patient is contagious.
