Monkeypox is common in Brazil. Science warns against prejudice

São Paulo – Ministry of Health confirms this 1369 cases of monkeypox In Brazil, but the number may be higher. This is because experts point to underreporting caused by the lack of a structure for testing and infection tracing – something similar to what was seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. São Paulo leads the index of people infected with 1,031 patients, followed by Rio de Janeiro, 169. Minas Gerais has 63 patients and Parana, 41. The current outbreak of the disease remains the target of studies by scientists around the world.

The first relevant indicator to understand the true severity of an outbreak is the positivity indicator. That is, the percentage of tests performed at a particular site with a positive result. According to the Reich Laboratory of Medicine and Diagnostics in Rio de Janeiro, The rate of positivity in the city hovering around 33%. The tests performed are PCR-RT, similar to the covid-19 model, adapted to the infection caused by the virus, and performed by collecting the mucous membrane of the lesions caused by the disease.

disease spreads

This week, the Indian authorities released a file Fourth death from the virus in the world. A 22-year-old man was reportedly injured while on a trip to the United Arab Emirates. The first official death from the virus outside Africa occurred the previous week in Brazil. A young man died in Minas Gerais. Spain also reported two more victims during the first days of this week.

The World Health Organization (WHO) considers the current outbreak of the virus to be a public health emergency of international concern. In practice, this means that affected states must organize planned actions at the federal level to combat the disease, as well as report cases to the community and entity. On Friday (29) New York State in the United States, declare a state of emergency Because of a possible lack of control over transmission of smallpox from monkeys. The city has at least 1,383 cases.

Symptoms and stigma

British researchers, who are at the forefront of understanding this new strain of monkeypox, have published a study of the new symptoms. These include pain and swelling in the genitals. The result of the survey reinforces the characteristic of sexually transmitted diseases, which this type of monkeypox seems to confirm again.

Studies show that there is an increased risk of transmission among men who have sex with men. The reasons for this may lie in the close network of intimate contacts, among other things. However, as the infection spreads, this apparent barrier must be quickly overcome. This is because – as the research confirms – this is not the only form of infection. However, prejudice prevents proper knowledge of the disease, in addition to creating unjustified stigmas.

Ignorance and infection

Spanish doctor Post on your Twitter The case embodies one of the evils of prejudice. While riding in the subway in Madrid, the professional identified possible contamination from the typical blisters of the disease visible on his leg. He reported that he interrogated the boy, who confirmed the diagnosis. He didn’t even wear a mask. He said he did not receive a referral from his doctor.

Then the doctor, affected by the situation, interrogated the people who were next to the patient. Someone’s reaction was impressive. One woman said, “How can I be afraid if I’m not gay?”

This report reveals the pernicious power of misinformation in the health field. As with AIDS in the 1980s, pathogens have no prejudices, they do not choose faith, gender identity, and sexual orientation, among other pluralities. However, they are exploiting the ignorance created by prejudice.