Do You Have To Wear A Mask To Avoid Monkey-pox?

Americans seeking to avoid another illness that, is Monkey-pox currently around the country may be asking if they should start sanitizing surfaces, refrain from touching their faces, and put on their masks once more.

Dr. Tom Inglesby, head of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, admitted that monkey-pox could be transferred through respiratory droplets. Still, there are specific critical differences between this virus and coronavirus. When it comes to transmission, monkey pox tends to spread primarily through close human contact.

How Does It Spread?

“Monkey-pox is spread by direct touch with infected wounds, scabs, or bodily fluids. Respiratory secretions can potentially spread during prolonged face-to-face contact. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes, “Monkey-pox can spread through personal contact between people, especially during intercourse, as well as behaviors like kissing, snuggling, or touching portions of the body with monkey-pox lesions.”

To put it another way, monkey-pox can transmit from mouth to mouth, but it doesn’t appear to be spreading throughout a room full of people and infecting everyone. When compared to COVID-19, this suggests that masks and face coverings are less important in the defense against monkey-pox.

Is Monkey-pox Going To Spread As Quickly As COVID?

The CDC’s earlier travel advice on monkey-pox, on the other hand, caused considerable misunderstanding. The following advice was posted by the agency before it was later removed, according to the New York Times:

“Put on a mask. Many infections, including monkey-pox, can be prevented by wearing a mask.”

“It’s not acting like a sickness that spreads primarily by respiratory droplets or through the air.” So it’s not behaving like influenza, covid, chickenpox, or measles, spreading swiftly in an uninfected population. It’s more like a contagious sickness that spreads through intimate touch.”

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Subhashree Panda

Subhashree has a Master's in Robotics and is fascinated by artificial intelligence. She covers the latest advancements in AI, machine learning, and robotics. Subhashree is also a robotics hobbyist and enjoys building small robots in her free time.