Richard Hatchett, CEO of the Alliance for pandemic prevention and innovation, pointed out that the world already has the tools needed to control monkeypox outbreaks, which is due to the investment in smallpox research. At the same time, it shows that it is valuable to prepare for the next pandemic. The new crown is not flat, monkeypox is rising again, and people's concerns about the new epidemic have intensified. Recently, public health experts have stated that monkeypox is not the next new crown. The world already has the weapons needed to control its outbreak.
On Tuesday, Seth Berkley, CEO of the global alliance for vaccines and immunization (GAVI), told Bloomberg at the world economic forum in Davos that monkeypox may not trigger the next pandemic.
On the same day, who officials said that the disease could be controlled if people were told the symptoms so that they could be identified quickly.
In an interview, Richard Hatchett, CEO of the epidemic prevention innovation alliance, pointed out that the world already has the tools needed to control monkeypox outbreaks, which is due to the investment in smallpox research. At the same time, it shows that it is valuable to prepare for the next pandemic.
Monkeypox, which has been prevalent in developing countries in recent years, especially in Africa, has spread rapidly in Europe and the United States in recent days, causing widespread concern. However, the transmission of the virus is lower than that of novel coronavirus, and similar to smallpox virus, there are relevant vaccines and treatments.
Sylvie Briand, director of the World Health Organization's Department of epidemic preparedness and prevention, said countries could cut off the transmission chain by raising awareness and allowing people to identify symptoms as soon as possible. According to Briand, with monkeypox spreading in recent days, 131 cases have been confirmed in 19 countries.
The initial symptoms are fever, muscle pain and enlarged lymph nodes, followed by a rash and sometimes pustules. The virus is believed to be transmitted from person to person mainly through respiratory droplets, but it can also be transmitted through direct contact with body fluids.
A large part of the current outbreak cases are related to sexual relations between men and men, but anyone can be infected with the disease, regardless of their sexual orientation.
The World Health Organization is investigating whether the virus has mutated or whether its mode of transmission has changed. Briand said the initial study did not show mutations.