What is Monkeypox and How Does it Spread? Local Doctor Weighs In
There have been 30 confirmed cases of Monkeypox in Minnesota, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
Monkeypox is a virus that can spread person to person through physical contact and can cause a broad variety of symptoms.
Dr. Hannah Lichtsinn with Hennepin Healthcare says it’s important to know the symptoms of Monkeypox, which has been declared a global health emergency.
“Body aches, fever, swollen glands, lymph nodes, headaches just not feeling well,” Lichtsinn said.
She says a rash is another symptom, resembling pimples or fluid-filled bumps.
We asked Dr. Lichtsinn the most common way the virus is spread:
“The most common way is from skin to skin contact and that can be any part of the body so when someone has the rash especially, they’re very contagious.”
The World Health Organization is advising people to isolate for three weeks from the time they believe they were exposed to the virus and to limit contact with people while waiting for test results.
When it comes to how deadly the virus is, Lichtsinn says fortunately, not many deaths have been associated with the virus.
She says some communities, however, are experiencing more outbreaks than others.
“Primarily in the community of men who have sex with men within the gay community and that has been where we’ve seen the biggest clusters of cases,” she said.
“Similarly, it can spread in any tight-knit community where there is a lot of physical contact, so thinking about athletic leagues or within a school environment.”
Lichtsinn says transmission can also happen through respiratory particles, although that requires prolonged face-to-face contact.
“I think it’s important for people to know that this virus is out there and it’s spreading into our communities.”
Lichtsinn says vaccination is limited and targeted toward people in at-risk communities.
More information on Monkeypox can be found here.
