After more than two years of coronavirus, we are looking at the re-emergence of monkeypox as a possible new pandemic. But the big difference with COVID-19 is that monkeypox little newbie. AT Africa They have known her very well for decades. There is even a suspicion that they could live with her for centuries. However, until you turn upside down USA and Europe (and now in some other countries) did not attract our attention.
Inaki Joypediatrician and medical coordinator of Gambo Rural General Hospital in Ethiopia, These days, he pointed it out on his Twitter account with as much bluntness as accuracy.. “Not yet white with monkeypoxIt won’t matter.” This phrase, repeatedly heard from doctors in Democratic Republic of the Congoone of the hardest hit countries in Africa, was a sad prediction of what eventually happened.
Few people in this part of the world knew about monkeypox, but now we all know about it. The same thing happened that day with ebola. In addition, with the diseases that first attacked us, such as COVID-19, we hardly mentioned the situation in Africa. We’ve hoarded vaccines ad nauseam without thinking about countries with fewer resources. Not even out of pure selfishness, because, if we talk about herd immunity, ideally it would be vaccinate the whole planeta.
In matters of health, selfishness continues to predominate, sometimes conscious, and sometimes somewhat unconscious. Therefore, such situations must occur for us to realize this. Because viruses do not understand skin color, money, or social status. But, unfortunately, the economic resources allocated health Yes. And the great forgotten ones are always the same.
The monkeypox situation in Africa
monkeypoxtransmitted by virus Floor orthopoxvirusesgets this name because it was first described in a laboratory monkey, at 1958. However, it took 12 years to discover the first human case. It was in 1970when A 9-year-old boy from a village in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. contracted what at first looked like smallpox.
After talking to the family, the paramedics discovered that they sometimes ate undercooked monkey meat and that the little boy was the only member of the family not vaccinated against smallpox. He was also the only one who got sick from eating this exotic dish. This fact about their diet, and the fact that the symptoms were milder than those of smallpox, led one to suspect what was eventually confirmed: monkeypox, also known as monkeypox. And the good news was that the vaccine protected the rest of his family, so it could also serve to protect against this disease, which until then hadn’t been seen in humans.
The first case of monkeypox found in humans was in a 9-year-old boy.
Since then, cases of monkeypox have been identified in 11 African countries: Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone and South Sudan.. Nigeria is one of the most affected countries; Well, as the World Health Organization explained, there have been more than 500 cases since 2017.
There’s mortality about 3%. However, this is a variable figure, which in other countries and in different outbreaks ranged from about 1% to 10%. There are two versions, better known as clades, one of which mainly affects the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the other is characteristic of West Africa. Last This is easier and that’s the one that seems to be going through Europe now, the United States. And now also with several cases in other countries such as Australia or Pakistan. In fact, at the moment, in all patients, the disease proceeds in a very mild form.
It is also worth noting that since 2014 Europe and USAbut all were very isolated, with few cases and no transmission in the population. This is the first time we see him as a threat, and therefore the first time we seem to care.
Desperate search for vaccines
Despite the ease of this outbreak, many affected countries are already considering stockpiling smallpox vaccines. Smallpox was eradicated in the late 1970s, so its vaccine ceased to be applied worldwide in the 1980s.
At one time, this vaccine was observed to provide 85% protection against monkeypox. However, as explained hypertext Inaki Joyit was also discontinued in Africa after the disease was declared eradicated.
In Africa, the smallpox vaccine was also discontinued after it was declared eradicated despite being effective against monkeypox.
A pediatrician who lives in Ethiopia admits that the disease is not a major concern in Africa, where outbreaks of other pathologies are much more serious, such as “pneumonia, HIV, tuberculosis or malaria“. However, it is curious that in countries such as Nigeria, where more than 500 cases have been detected in 5 years, it is not decided to vaccinate at least vulnerable population, and here we are looking for vaccines and antivirals with all our might. It’s not bad, you can try to stop breakouts when they start. Fortunately, this is a well-known condition and stopping it should go a long way. easier than with COVID-19.
However, all this raises the question of how much first- and second-class citizens are still in health matters. Diseases that are not talked about until the pustules they cause appear on them. white skins. Viruses that do not try to stop until they cross the borders of countries that consider themselves invincible. Over the past two years, we have understood very well that we are not invincible. It is time to take into account that we are no better than others. It is sad that two viruses in two and a half years make us open our eyes. Or at least try.
Source: Hiper Textual
