Who’s up for another pandemic? Not us! Monkeypox has existed for decades, but mostly in Central and West Africa. It is now spreading in Europe, and some are wondering if we should be concerned.
According to the Dutch Minister of Health, Ernst Kuipers, “there is a good chance” that the disease will spread to the Netherlands from its neighbouring European countries, writes RTL Nieuws.
Let op: As we are writing this article the RIVM is looking into the first potential cases of monkeypox in the Netherlands. However it has not been confirmed that the samples are indeed monkeypox yet, writes the NOS.
We get it, nobody really wants to hear the word “pandemic” ever again. Still, diseases come and go, spread and die, and there’s little to be done about it. That’s why it is important to keep an eye out for new diseases that might throw us back into the strange and chaotic Tiger-King-whipped-iced-coffee-banana-bread era of 2020.
What is monkeypox?
Monkeypox is a virus that spreads from animals to humans, most likely through respiratory droplets. The disease usually lasts 2-4 weeks, after an incubation time of five to 21 days. 😷
It has symptoms similar to smallpox, but it is, according to the WHO, less severe, and the infection has been described as “mild.”
Just like smallpox, symptoms of monkeypox include fever, muscle aches, and a characteristic rash.
It has had a fatality rate of 1-10%, but the records are mainly from West- and Central African circumstances, and European cases have not yet shown similar qualities.
Will it come to the Netherlands?
The virus has so far been detected in several European countries, including France, Germany, and Belgium. Many are now wondering if monkeypox will spread to the Netherlands, and the simple, most realistic (albeit not very attractive), answer is: yes.
As we have all had to learn the hard way — it is hard to contain infectious diseases within the borders of our community-loving European states.
Should we be concerned?
Although monkeypox should not be confused with the coronavirus, it is of course hard not to go straight into crisis mode when hearing about new diseases. Monkeypox should be taken seriously, since it can be deadly, and the recent developments have been described as “highly unusual.”
However, there’s no reason to go into panic mode just yet.
There is some good news to dampen the slight feeling of anxiety accompanying news like this: there is already an effective vaccine! That means that we can get straight to fighting this new and scary virus, if necessary, and not wait months like we did for the coronavirus vaccine — *cough cough* Rutte. 👀
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