Explained: Monkeypox is not as serious as Covid-19, though declared a health emergency

New Delhi: The World Health Organisation (WHO) after declaring Monkeypox as a viral outbreak, is now recognised as a health emergency. Monkeypox owing to its highest level of alarm for a contagious disease is regarded as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). In early 2020, Covid-19 was also declared PHEIC.

Will Monkeypox lead to another Covid-like situation?

Monkeypox will not be as contagious as Covid-19, as its spread is much lower and self-limiting.

It’s not an old disease:

Covid-19 was an entirely new disease and was highly infectious. It spread through respiratory droplets, which included the tiniest ones. Moreover, Monkeypox is an old disease that is caused by a virus that made its way through the human system over 50 years ago.

Less likely to mutate:

To adapt to the human body, SARS-CoV-2 mutated at a much faster speed. However, the Monkeypox virus will not likely go through such a mutation. It will retain its self-limiting nature of the infection.

Needs longer exposure:

Covid-19 spreads from one person to another if the people are within the breathing limits for 10-15 minutes without a face mask. On the other hand, Monkeypox takes a much longer period to infect and closer contact – skin-to-skin or exchange of body fluid – with the infected person or animal.

Monkeypox has been found mostly in gay or bisexual people. According to WHO, four of five patients were found to be gay or bisexual. In a London-based study, 98% of around 600 patients were gay or bisexual.

Vaccine already exists:

In late 2019, when Covid-19 started first in China, there was no vaccine available to offer protection against the disease. Monkeypox is caused by the orthopoxvirus family which belongs to a small virus group. Smallpox has now been eradicated. The same vaccine is effective against the monkeypox virus.