The smallpox vaccine is effective against monkeypox, but one should keep in mind that there has been no mandatory vaccination against this disease for a very long time, so every year there are fewer and fewer people protected from smallpox, Azerbaijani doctor-therapist Zaur Orujov told Report.
“Comparing monkeypox and coronavirus is absolutely wrong,” the doctor said, commenting on the question of whether the world is facing a new pandemic or epidemic. “During the years of the coronavirus pandemic, people have experienced psychological trauma regarding any infections, and now all the news is perceived very brightly. Monkeypox disease itself is dangerous in that it can sometimes lead to death, though not so often. More often, death cases from this disease can be found among the poor African rural population. Monkeypox is a milder form of smallpox, the more severe form, smallpox, has been defeated by vaccination.”
He also emphasized that people in the media, when forming their comments, talk about anything except the medical part. “The most important thing now is to calm down, deeply study the issue from the point of view of medicine,” he added.
“Human-to-human transmission of monkeypox is very difficult, it requires very close contact, sexual contact, or being in close contact with animals, with rodents and with monkeys, although the latter is less common, despite that the disease is called monkeypox. This is what distinguishes monkeypox from the coronavirus and from the flu, it is transmitted very hard from person to person,” the doctor said.
Orujov added that the symptoms of monkeypox are similar to other infectious diseases. During the incubation period, there is an increase in body temperature, fever, aches, afterwards, rashes and lymphadenitis, an increase in lymph nodes.
“I would generally not advise the media to actively describe the symptoms, because many diseases have similar symptoms, and when a person finds them in himself or herself, he panicks. This doesn’t make the situation better,” the doctor believes.
Orujov refers to the risk zone of infection of people who live in the endemic zone. Also included in this category are people who have had close contact with already infected people.
“As for precautions, if you are in Africa, it is better not to touch raw meat, various animals that can be carriers of monkeypox. You also need to follow hygiene rules, less contact with people with symptoms, which are standard quarantine measures,” he said.
The doctor considers the smallpox vaccine to be very effective against monkeypox, but noted that one must remember that there has been no mandatory vaccination against smallpox for a very long time, so every year there are fewer and fewer people protected from smallpox.
“Monkeypox has the opportunity to spread, but this disease will not grow into the second pandemic,” said Orujov.