Monkeypox Virus

[trenchfoot]

Lots of folks, being fatigued by this long running Covid pandemic, will not be concerned about this latest threat until, of course, they get infected and rue their nonchalance until the next threat comes knocking on their doors. In the meantime, their spreading the disease is none of their concern because self-preservation becomes their #1 priority and too bad so sad for the people they've spread the disease to.

It didn't help things at all when Donald Trump politicized the Covid pandemic and that smug careless attitude of his has been cultivated among his cult members and they're looking at all threats of this nature in that way, exponentially increasing the threat of an epidemic breakout. Trump himself is an epidemic, a really nasty one with long lasting effects.

 

[UNCjigga]

Per Dr. Fauci interview. Are you having sex with multiple male partners? If you are I would get vaccinated.

Here's where it gets weird though--remember back in the early days of AIDS, people were afraid to touch gay people or sit on public toilet seats in "gay" neighborhoods? It took a while for the stigma to die down and people to understand AIDS is an STD and wouldn't spread through surface contact.

Monkeypox is different--it *CAN* spread through surface contact. This is why we shouldn't ignore this as a "gay" problem because *anyone* in communities with high spread is at risk. To date, though, I think 99% of diagnosed infections have been in men having sex with men.

 

[NWRMidnight]

Here's where it gets weird though--remember back in the early days of AIDS, people were afraid to touch gay people or sit on public toilet seats in "gay" neighborhoods? It took a while for the stigma to die down and people to understand AIDS is an STD and wouldn't spread through surface contact.

Monkeypox is different--it *CAN* spread through surface contact. This is why we shouldn't ignore this as a "gay" problem because *anyone* in communities with high spread is at risk. To date, though, I think 99% of diagnosed infections have been in men having sex with men.

There have been reports of 2 children of the age of 8 having contracted it, so this "it's a gay thing" is null and void.

 

[Jaskalas]

And that just shows the inherent hypocrisy of their idiocy. So it only affects promiscuous gay dudes, but its gonna be used to steal the election, meaning Republicans are apparently largely promiscuous gay dudes?

Unsurprising to see you cannot connect two very simple dots.
Pox and Vaccines do not steal elections.
Mail in ballots do. (So they say)

When Republicans speak of elections, it's about that and nothing else. They built a narrative around how the election changes made in 2020 cannot be trusted. And now, in their minds, disease exists solely as a conspiracy to promote mail in ballots and thus steal elections.

 

[Jaskalas]

though, I think 99% of diagnosed infections have been in men having sex with men.

There have been reports of 2 children of the age of 8 having contracted it, so this "it's a gay thing" is null and void.

The "exception proves the rule" bit comes to mind.
99% is a difficult rock to move.
While I am certain that figure will not hold true later on, as community spread becomes more common, I am afraid the stigma it carries will never lift. Or at least... not for many years.

 

[HomerJS]

Here's where it gets weird though--remember back in the early days of AIDS, people were afraid to touch gay people or sit on public toilet seats in "gay" neighborhoods? It took a while for the stigma to die down and people to understand AIDS is an STD and wouldn't spread through surface contact.

Monkeypox is different--it *CAN* spread through surface contact. This is why we shouldn't ignore this as a "gay" problem because *anyone* in communities with high spread is at risk. To date, though, I think 99% of diagnosed infections have been in men having sex with men.

I heard transmissible people can be identified by sores on skin

Wonder why the US has the most cases of the pox?

 

[fskimospy]

There have been reports of 2 children of the age of 8 having contracted it, so this "it's a gay thing" is null and void.

Two things can be simultaneously true:

1) anyone CAN contract this.
2) the people contracting it are OVERWHELMINGLY men having sex with other men.

It’s definitely a gay thing and anyone saying otherwise is in denial. We shouldn’t be afraid to say what is true.

 

[pmv]

Two things can be simultaneously true:

1) anyone CAN contract this.
2) the people contracting it are OVERWHELMINGLY men having sex with other men.

It’s definitely a gay thing and anyone saying otherwise is in denial. We shouldn’t be afraid to say what is true.

What I read somewhere was that in cultures where families live in much more confined accomodation and where the culture involves more (non-sexual) close physical contact between people, it mostly spreads non-sexually, whereas once it reached 'the West', where people are less touchy-feely (I guess) and families have more physical space, it ends up being transmitted more via sexual contact.

And I suppose because it happened to appear first in the gay community, that's where it tends to be spreading.

 

[Paratus]

Two things can be simultaneously true:

1) anyone CAN contract this.
2) the people contracting it are OVERWHELMINGLY men having sex with other men.

It’s definitely a gay thing and anyone saying otherwise is in denial. We shouldn’t be afraid to say what is true.

Right. But it won’t stay in that population. It’s in fact already expanding into other populations and unlike an STD it can be transmitted via methods other than sex. Also condoms are not protective.

So while I agree it’s mostly in the gay male population at the moment the caveats are extremely important.

 

[fskimospy]

Right. But it won’t stay in that population. It’s in fact already expanding into other populations and unlike an STD it can be transmitted via methods other than sex. Also condoms are not protective.

So while I agree it’s mostly in the gay male population at the moment the caveats are extremely important.

They are somewhat important I guess but by denying that the spread is overwhelmingly within the gay community it makes it harder to dedicate vaccination and health care resources to the place they are needed most. If we deny the issue is primarily in the gay community we start vaccinating elderly straight women first and that is not helpful.

 

[fskimospy]

Here are some useful and recent numbers:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1555397288696385536

Over 99% of cases were in men.

 

[K1052]

They are somewhat important I guess but by denying that the spread is overwhelmingly within the gay community it makes it harder to dedicate vaccination and health care resources to the place they are needed most. If we deny the issue is primarily in the gay community we start vaccinating elderly straight women first and that is not helpful.

HHS is going to be short shots through at least the end of the year so yeah they should be focusing vaccination. Would have been great if they'd decided to bottle the several million doses of vaccine they've got sitting in Denmark sooner. Could have hit major events like Market Days in Chicago, Southern Decadence in NOLA, etc and got a big chunk of the vulnerable population.

 

[Paratus]

They are somewhat important I guess but by denying that the spread is overwhelmingly within the gay community it makes it harder to dedicate vaccination and health care resources to the place they are needed most. If we deny the issue is primarily in the gay community we start vaccinating elderly straight women first and that is not helpful.

Absolutely agree that the limited supply of vaccinations should be targeted at affected population where it's spreading fastest and new vaccine production needs to start ASAP.

But to keep it from spreading to those who interact with those populations, they need to understand that not being a man who has sex with men doesn't protect you from catching it.

 

[Pens1566]

The problem with calling it a gay STD is that it gives false sense of security outside that demographic. The first outbreak we have in a high school wrestling team will be ... uh, interesting to watch.

 

[fskimospy]

The problem with calling it a gay STD is that it gives false sense of security outside that demographic. The first outbreak we have in a high school wrestling team will be ... uh, interesting to watch.

You don’t have to call it a gay STD as that’s inaccurate. We should message that the overwhelmingly likely case through which you will contract it is through gay sex though because at this time it is undeniably true.

Same as with COVID, public health agencies need to stop playing pop psychiatrists and stick to the medical facts. Just tell people what is true and don’t try to trick people into being virtuous. At this time monkeypox is not a meaningful risk to individuals who are not intimate with someone who has sex with men.

 

[hal2kilo]

Here's where it gets weird though--remember back in the early days of AIDS, people were afraid to touch gay people or sit on public toilet seats in "gay" neighborhoods? It took a while for the stigma to die down and people to understand AIDS is an STD and wouldn't spread through surface contact.

Monkeypox is different--it *CAN* spread through surface contact. This is why we shouldn't ignore this as a "gay" problem because *anyone* in communities with high spread is at risk. To date, though, I think 99% of diagnosed infections have been in men having sex with men.

I completely agree.

 

[allisolm]

Maybe time to start worrying a bit more if you're outside the circle of gay men.
A daycare worker in Illinois has tested positive, potentially exposing several dozen children. So far no other positives and they are offering vaccine to the children, but it's not a good thing to happen.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/08/05/monkeypox-illinois-daycare-center/

 

[fskimospy]

Maybe time to start worrying a bit more if you're outside the circle of gay men.
A daycare worker in Illinois has tested positive, potentially exposing several dozen children. So far no other positives and they are offering vaccine to the children, but it's not a good thing to happen.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/08/05/monkeypox-illinois-daycare-center/

Wouldn’t the fact that at least so far there are no other infections be reason to worry less and not more?

Monkeypox is simply not terribly contagious and requires some pretty significant exposure to contract. I feel like this is an example of COVID making people a little crazy where they are almost excited for a new disease to panic about.

 

[Lezunto]

Actually, Monkey Pox is now spreading to the general population and a few people have died.

I am really disappointed with the slow rollout of the vaccines.

I recall the do-nothing Reagan administration sitting on its hands while HIV began to spread and eventually took a huge human toll.

By claiming this virus affects just gay men only created a feeling of over-confidence in many. Everyone will eventually be at risk and nobody needs to suffer needlessly.

 

[Captante]

Two things can be simultaneously true:

1) anyone CAN contract this.
2) the people contracting it are OVERWHELMINGLY men having sex with other men.

It’s definitely a gay thing and anyone saying otherwise is in denial. We shouldn’t be afraid to say what is true.

Really?

What it is, is a "spread by physical contact with sores and bodily-fluids" thing per doctors.

Last time I checked gay men have a LOT of anal-sex which makes that kind of spread MUCH more likely. (just like HIV)

So NO its NOT a "gay disease" and YES "saying that" IS disgusting. (you should be ashamed... "Elite" in what way exactly?)

 

[fskimospy]

Really?

What it is, is a "spread by physical contact with sores and bodily-fluids" thing per doctors.

The method of transmission is irrelevant to my point.

Last time I checked gay men have a LOT of anal-sex which makes that kind of spread MUCH more likely. (just like HIV)

Great, so you agree with me.

So NO its NOT a "gay disease" and YES "saying that" IS disgusting. (you should be ashamed... "Elite" in what way exactly?)

As I said it is a disease that is currently overwhelmingly spreading among the gay community because this is a fact. I’m sorry if reality makes you sad but what I think is disgusting is to have people in denial push narratives that take needed medical resources away from the communities most affected.

Right now it is a disease almost exclusively affecting gay men. If you find yourself in a place where you don’t want to admit that you should take a step back and think about how you got to this place. Maybe in the future it will spread outside the gay community and this is something we should take seriously, but our first commitment should always be to living in reality.

 

[fskimospy]

dp

 

[Captante]

Great, so you agree with me.

So in your way of "thinking" that would have made AIDES a "gay" disease too at the start and you honestly do think that's just fine.


It's YOU that "makes me sad" not just Monkey Pox. That's reality.

 

[fskimospy]

It's YOU that "makes me sad" not just Monkey Pox. That's reality.

I extend my humblest apologies for making you internet sad. I can only imagine what you’re going through, it’s like monkeypox of the heart.

 

[Captante]

I extend my humblest apologies for making you internet sad. I can only imagine what you’re going through, it’s like monkeypox of the heart.

I actually feel a bit sorry for you if you honestly don't get it.... I know I give you crap from time to time but I did think you were a decent guy.

Do you also refer to sickle-cell anemia as a "black" disease?