WHO Holds Emergency Meeting On Monkeypox

The World Health Organization held an emergency meeting on whether to declare a global emergency as Monkeypox cases across the globe rise.

The virus is not a new one, but what is new is that cases are popping up in locations where the virus has historically never lived.

Oklahoma currently has two confirmed positive cases of Monkeypox.

The state health department said the two cases in the state do not correlate. 

“The nature of spread is not like COVID, much less contagious,” said Dr. Jim Kirk with SSM Health. 

Dr. Kirk said this is not an airborne disease, and cases are transmitted through humans by direct and physical contact.

“I think all of us should be concerned in the sense that we should have awareness for someone who has a flu-like illness, particularly with lymph nodes followed by an unusual rash,” said Dr. Kirk. 

It is believed that the general population remains at very low risk, but with these new cases popping up around the world, the director of WHO stated the recent spike is “unusual and concerning.”

“There have been no deaths, and it does not seem to cause severe illness in people,” said Dr. Kirk.  

If the WHO classifies the current outbreak of Monkeypox outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern, certain recommendations will be made to attempt to contain the spread.

Other outbreaks WHO have classified as international concerns include H1N1 swine flu, ebola, SARS, polio, zika and COVID-19.