Munich trembles with monkeypox: extreme risk of infection during sexual intercourse – doctor clarifies
Created: 08/17/2022, 12:40 p.m
By: Tanja Kipke
Monkeypox is spreading in Munich.
An expert explains how to protect yourself and what to do if you get sick.
Munich – The countdown is on and the anticipation is huge: In just one month, after a two-year pandemic break, the city will finally be celebrating the Oktoberfest again.
And Corona is probably celebrating – just like monkeypox.
There are more and more cases in Munich - do we have to be afraid of infection in the marquee?
Monkey pox in Munich: Doctor explains the disease
"The virus continues to spread, and there is no end in sight," confirms expert Christoph Spinner.
But: "That's no reason to panic." Spinner is an infectiologist at the university hospital on the right side of the Isar.
He considers the risk of infection at the Wiesn to be low because it requires very close skin contact, he says.
The Oktoberfest crowd alone is not a big problem.
Situations outside of the festival events are more dangerous: the majority of those infected become infected through changing sexual contacts.
There are currently 29 men and women in Munich, and since the first cases became known, the city has now recorded 169 people affected (as of August 16).
What is striking about the current monkeypox outbreak: So far, it has mainly been men who have contracted it.
If you want to stay healthy, you should above all keep your distance from infected people.
Because there are a particularly large number of viruses in the red pustules on the skin.
But not only there.
"Monkeypox is a systemic disease," Spinner explains.
That means it affects the whole body.
Blood and saliva can also be contagious.
Crowds like at the Wiesn do not pose an extreme risk of infection for monkeypox, says the expert.
© Tobias Hase/dpa
Monkeypox: Sexual intercourse with changing partners harbors an extreme risk of infection
Sexual intercourse with changing partners harbors an extreme risk of infection.
Spinner says: "Condoms reduce the risk, but they do not protect effectively."
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The incubation period – i.e. the time from infection to the onset of the disease – lasts five to 21 days.
Infected people usually get a fever first, then the pustules become visible.
Anyone who notices them should see a doctor as soon as possible.
"But: Please call ahead and don't just sit in the waiting room," advises Spinner.
While experts know how to manage the disease, they should be prepared.
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), a lower spread in society prevents very severe courses and also protects those at risk such as the elderly and pregnant women.
On the other hand, it reduces the risk that the virus will mutate and then become even more dangerous.
Vaccine is running out
The Klinikum Rechts der Isar vaccinates people from risk groups against monkeypox.
This includes men who have sex with men.
This includes both homosexual and bisexual men, says Christoph Spinner, an infectiologist at the clinic.
The vaccine is also available in practices that take care of HIV diseases or prevention.
Vaccination is recommended for anyone who has had close contact with an infected person in the past ten days.
"But we expect that we will run out of vaccine doses this week because the demand is high," says Spinner.
monkeypox?
RKI recommends 21-day isolation
Sick people should wash their hands regularly, disinfect them and isolate themselves.
This means that they should only stay in their own apartment if possible.
The RKI recommends a 21-day isolation, which should only be ended when the symptoms are completely gone.
Most of those infected have mild symptoms, and they are given medicine to treat the symptoms, says Spinner.
With severe pain, the drug Tecovirimat helps.
Despite its name, monkeypox is mostly transmitted by rodents.
Actually, they are mainly distributed in Africa, there is a Central and a West African variant.
"In the current outbreak, the milder variant from West Africa is in circulation," says Spinner.
According to the expert, the number of people infected outside of Africa is unusual.
"One explanation could be that vaccinations against smallpox have not been given since the 1970s at the latest." For which group of people a vaccination makes sense, read the box above.
(rmi)
