What a shock that the three states that led the country in draconian COVID measures have declared states of emergency over monkeypox.
The United States has 6,000 monkeypox cases.
California, Illinois, and New York have 47% of those confirmed monkeypox cases. Then again, those states have the three largest cities in the country.
But anytime a virus comes out, we’ll probably get these public health emergencies. Remember, declaring these emergencies gives the politicians a lot more power than they deserve or need.
Monkeypox is rare, affecting one group of people by a long shot, and so far no deaths in America.
There is a vaccine for monkeypox along with anti-viral medicines.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency two days ago:
“I am declaring a State Disaster Emergency to strengthen our ongoing efforts to confront the monkeypox outbreak,” Hochul tweeted. https://bit.ly/3oFYEMBShe added that more than one in four monkeypox cases in the United States are in New York, also having a disproportionate impact on at-risk groups.As of July 29, New York state had a total of 1,383 confirmed orthopoxvirus/monkeypox cases, according to New York Department of Health’s website.
Weirdly, Reuters doesn’t mention that the “at-risk groups” include, by a large margin, men who engage in sexual activity with other men. Gee, I wonder why.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams declared his own emergency today with…1,300 confirmed cases in the city of millions of people. But the emergency allows Adams “to suspend local laws and enact rules.”
Gov. JB Pritzker declared a public health emergency since the state has…520 confirmed cases, 330 of which are in Chicago:
Person-to-person transmission is possible through “close physical contact with monkeypox sores, items that have been contaminated with fluids or sores (clothing, bedding, etc.), or through respiratory droplets following prolonged face-to-face contact,” according to the Chicago Department of Public Health.”The main source of spread is that direct skin-to-skin contact with rash or sores, and that can and has kind of very frequently among our cases included sexual or intimate contact,” said Dr. Janna Kerins medical director for environmental health at CDPH. Monkeypox can also be transmitted other ways, including sharing drinks, kissing as well as sharing bedding or other intimate items.“MPV is a rare, but potentially serious disease that requires the full mobilization of all available public health resources to prevent the spread,” Pritzker said. “That’s why I am declaring a state of emergency to ensure smooth coordination between state agencies and all levels of government, thereby increasing our ability to prevent and treat the disease quickly. We have seen this virus disproportionately impact the LGBTQ+ community in its initial spread. Here in Illinois we will ensure our LGBTQ+ community has the resources they need to stay safe while ensuring members are not stigmatized as they access critical health care.”
San Francisco declared its own emergency a few days ago. Gov. Gavin Newsom joined the chorus on Monday:
“California is working urgently across all levels of government to slow the spread of monkeypox, leveraging our robust testing, contact tracing and community partnerships strengthened during the pandemic to ensure that those most at risk are our focus for vaccines, treatment and outreach,” said Newsom in a press release.”We’ll continue to work with the federal government to secure more vaccines, raise awareness about reducing risk, and stand with the LGBTQ community, fighting stigmatization.”The proclamation allows Emergency Medical Services personnel to administer monkeypox vaccines that are approved by the FDA. This is similar to the statutory authorization recently enacted for pharmacists to administer vaccines.The state said its strategies built during the COVID-19 pandemic helped lay the groundwork for its monkeypox response.
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