Monkeypox: who is really at risk?
Two groups are at increased risk
Created: 05/29/2022, 10:18 am
By: Christoph Gschossmann
An electron micrograph of monkeypox virus.
© Andrea Männel/Andrea Schnartendorff/RKI/dpa
Monkeypox cannot be compared to Corona, experts say.
Nevertheless, there are two groups for which special caution against infection applies.
Munich – The world has been fighting the corona pandemic for over two years.
Now alarm bells are ringing for many when they hear that monkeypox also seems to be spreading everywhere: The big question here is: Who is really at risk?
And here is good news.
Whichever expert you listen to, the answer is always that adults with good immune systems don't get seriously ill.
Still, there are two groups that are at increased risk, as reported by The
New York Times
.
Monkeypox: There is an increased risk for two groups
On the one hand, increased caution applies to infants under six months.
Fortunately, these are not yet affected by the current outbreak.
The other group is “older adults”.
However, these are at least somewhat protected from the virus by decades-old smallpox vaccinations, studies suggest.
You'll probably get away with only mild symptoms.
"The bottom line is that even those who were vaccinated many decades earlier retain very, very high levels of antibodies and the ability to neutralize the virus," said Dr.
Luigi Ferrucci, scientific director of the National Institute on Aging - "even if they were vaccinated 50 years ago".
However, the duration of protection varies from person to person, said Dr.
Anthony S. Fauci, the Biden administration's chief adviser on infectious diseases.
According to the Times, there are currently around 260 confirmed cases worldwide.
There are conflicting opinions as to how long immunity to smallpox vaccination lasts.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends booster vaccinations against smallpox every three years, but only "for people at risk of occupational exposure," David Daigle, a spokesman for the agency, said in a statement.
"The risk of exposure is not limited to a specific group"
The majority of those infected are currently men under 50 and many identify as gay or bisexual, possibly linked to a gay pride event in the Canary Islands.
The outbreak might as well have started at a large event among straight people, experts said.
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"The risk of exposure is not limited to any particular group," said Dr.
Rochelle Walensky, the director of the CDC.
"Our priority is to help everyone make informed decisions to protect their health and the health of their community, and that starts with awareness-raising guided by science, not stigma."
(cg)
Case numbers of people infected with monkeypox in Europe are increasing.
"That makes you sit up and take notice," says the virologist Hendrik Streeck, but above all he can give the all-clear.