As of June 9, at least 23 other cases were under investigation in Toronto and the Halton District Public Health confirmed the first case, while there were no confirmed cases in Hamilton, the Hamilton Public Health Service said. Karen Mosman, a virologist and professor of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at McMaster University, said the silver investment in a possible monkey pox outbreak could be the lessons we learned during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that COVID-19 has raised awareness about how to proceed in the event of an outbreak. “Many general practices applied during COVID will help reduce monkeypox infection,” he wrote in an email to CBC Hamilton. “Hopefully COVID will normalize mask use, new work arrangements (and related technologies), better ventilation systems, etc.” Karen Mossman is a virologist and professor of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at McMaster University. (Submitted by Karen Mossman) But he also warns that concerns about rising local cases are justified. This concern could be linked to a few people who are immune to smallpox, Dr. Mosman explained. “While the smallpox vaccine is considered to provide protection, the smallpox vaccine ended around 1970 when the virus was effectively eradicated and those who were vaccinated probably have limited residual immunity,” he said. Fortunately, he said, smallpox does not spread as fast as SARS-CoV-2 and does not mutate as fast as coronaviruses. “Monkey pox is transmitted through the bites or scratches of an infected animal or through direct contact with wounds or body fluids from infected people (eg during sex) or contaminated clothing, bedding, etc.,” he said.
Doctors need to be better at communicating with the public, says the expert
Mossman says there were also lessons to be learned from COVID-19 on how doctors communicate with the public. “I think there has to be a balance between transparency and awareness, with reality based on the best data and knowledge available. The public has a right to know which viruses are circulating and could potentially create a new outbreak,” he said. . “This is where the challenge comes in, as we often do not know what we do not know, and as we gather more information, these messages change. best speculation) based on how similar SARS-CoV-2 was to SARS-CoV and our experience with the pandemic in 2003. “ Mossman says the general public needs to have more information in order to assess the risk when it comes to cases. Using the saying ‘trust me, I’m a doctor’, we’re not doing our job to really educate the public about why and how decisions / recommendations are made, which I think is extremely important so that when the next pandemic occurs, the “The public has a general awareness and can better understand what is happening, why they should or should not worry,” he said.
“Different dispersion patterns”
Niagara State Public Health is not aware of any local cases at this time, according to an email to CBC Hamilton on Wednesday. Dr. Azim Kasmani, a deputy public health practitioner in Niagara Falls, said it was “unlikely” a pandemic would occur from the current outbreak. “From what we know about monkey pox so far, it is unlikely to have the same global impact as COVID-19,” he wrote. “These are different viruses with different patterns of spread and different effects on health.” For now, Dr. Kasmani suggests avoiding close and physical contact with others who could be infected with monkey pox, as well as avoiding sharing personal items with these individuals. “As we enter the summer months when large outdoor gatherings and festivals are becoming more common, it is important to think about how close, skin-to-skin contact you will have when attending an event,” he added. Like Dr. Mossman agrees that humans should be wary of monkey pox, but that we could be a little more prepared for epidemics this time around. “COVID-19 was a brand new virus and people were not immune to it when it appeared,” he said. “Monkeypox, on the other hand, has been known for decades, we have seen it and we have done it in the past.”
