Monkeypox is not a 'repeat of' Covid-19 says Government minister
Cases of monkeypox have been reported in 14 countries so far
Last updated 29th May 2022
Monkeypox is not a “repeat of” Covid-19, a UK Government minister has assured.
MP Simon Clarke has said Monkeypox “does not appear to be anywhere near the same platform of seriousness” as covid.
Cases of monkeypox have been reported in 14 countries, with 20 cases reported in the UK to date.
People who present symptoms or have very close contact with those with symptoms, are advised to quarantine for three weeks but the threshold for that is quite high – it really does have to be close physical or sexual contact with an infected person.
Those at the highest risk of contracting the disease are being asked to self-isolate at home for 21 days.
The disease is usually mild but can cause severe illness in some cases.
Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion.
Ministers are “cautious” but not worried about the disease
Chief secretary to the Treasury Simon Clarke told Sky News: “As with any new disease, and obviously after the Covid pandemic doubly so, we continue to monitor this very closely.
“I would say I am cautious but I am certainly not concerned about our ability to handle the situation.
“There is a vaccine which is available and works for monkeypox, and all the evidence is that it is spread by physical contact.
“That being the case, the risk of community transmission is much lower, we have a working vaccine, if people present with symptoms or have very close contact, then we are advising that they quarantine for three weeks but the threshold for that is quite high – it really does have to be close physical or sexual contact.”
Mr Clarke said he was not aware of reports of a baby being in intensive care with monkeypox, adding: “What I would say is we are cautious but we are certainly not in a position where I would in anyway worry the public that this is some repeat of Covid, because it certainly does not appear to be anywhere near the same platform of seriousness.”
Cases of monkeypox have been reported in 14 countries so far
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will release updated figures on the situation in the UK on Monday, with 20 cases recorded to date.
Cases of monkeypox have been reported in 14 countries, according to epidemiologists at Harvard University who are tracking the spread, including 40 cases in Spain and 23 in Portugal.
Sir Jeremy Farrar, the director of Wellcome says “The action is what’s happening in the UK at the moment, which is very detailed, very painstaking contact tracing, identifying people who come forward and identifying their contacts and tracking everybody to see that you can break those chains of transmission, and making sure that that’s done in a trusted way…
“The worst thing is if we have any stigma associated with these infections, and people are fearful or don’t want to come forward, and that’s when epidemics can really take off.”
Transmission between people is occurring in the UK, with a large proportion of cases identified in the gay, bisexual and men who have sex with other men community.
Monkeypox is not normally a sexually-transmitted infection, but it can be passed on by direct contact during sex.
It can also be spread through touching clothing, bedding or towels used by someone with the monkeypox rash, and through the coughs and sneezes of somebody with the infection.
The Government has stocks of the smallpox vaccine, which is being offered to very close contacts of those who have been affected.
According to the UKHSA, monkeypox does not usually spread easily between people and the overall risk to the UK population remains low.
Anyone with unusual rashes or lesions on any part of their body, especially their genitalia, should contact NHS 111 or call a sexual health service if they have concerns, it said.