The World Health Organization (WHO) assured on Tuesday that the mpox outbreak is not another Covid-19. The organization emphasized that we already have significant knowledge about the virus and the methods to control it.
Hans Kluge, WHO’s European director, stated that while more research is needed on the Clade 1b strain— which led the UN agency to declare an international health emergency—the mpox spread can be contained.
“Mpox is not the new Covid,” Kluge said during a media briefing from Geneva via video-link. “We know how to control mpox, and in the European region, we know the steps needed to eliminate its transmission altogether.”
Kluge highlighted that Europe managed to control mpox by directly engaging with the most affected communities. Robust surveillance, case contact investigations, behavior changes, and targeted vaccinations all played a role in controlling the outbreak. He also noted that the risk to the general population is low.
He mentioned that there is still some uncertainty about how the virus spreads. It is possible for someone in the acute phase of mpox, especially with blisters in the mouth, to transmit the virus through droplets in close-contact settings, such as at home or in hospitals. However, more research is needed to fully understand the modes of transmission.
WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic added that the agency is not recommending the use of masks for the general public. “We are not recommending mass vaccination. Instead, we suggest using vaccines in outbreak settings for the groups most at risk,” he said.
The WHO declared an international health emergency on August 14 due to the rise in cases of Clade 1b in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and its spread to nearby countries.
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