Monkeypox surprised the world. It had been prevalent for a long time in some parts of Central and West Africa. But the disease has now spread worldwide, and in an unprecedented way. There are 27,000 confirmed cases of infection, mostly among gay men, in 88 countries.

The World Health Organization says the situation amounts to a global emergency. Is it possible to stop the spread of monkeypox? Or are we facing the spread of a new virus around the world? Is it difficult to deal with the virus? Do we have the ability to stop its spread? Is there a desire to deal with a disease that affects gay and bisexual men among them? The nature of the virus There are no special advantages in the biology of monkeypox virus. It is no longer an unstoppable force. Perhaps that was the case with the Corona virus, which is spreading so quickly that it was thought impossible to control even in the early days of the epidemic. But monkeypox is difficult to transmit from person to person, as it requires direct physical contact, such as through contact with infected skin or direct contact for a long time, or through contaminated surfaces such as bed sheets and towels. The two viruses simply belong to two different worlds, and previous waves of monkeypox have already ended. We have previously defeated a similar and more deadly virus, smallpox. “Monkeypox is easier,” says Professor Jonathan Ball, a virologist at the University of Nottingham. "Its susceptibility to spread is weaker than smallpox, so we are in an easier situation," he explains. But some people have mild symptoms similar to those of chickenpox or sexually transmitted diseases. This means that the virus can be transmitted to others accidentally. Tools The virus has been transmitted to people who engage in sexual relations or close enough contact to overcome the vulnerabilities of spreading the virus. The virus was not classified as a sexually transmitted disease, but a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine estimated that 95 percent of monkeypox cases were sexually transmitted, specifically between gay men. This leaves us with two options to contain the disease: convince people to have less sex, or reduce the risk of contracting the disease when exposed to the virus.

BBC