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Opinion: Another Pandemic Looms... We’re Still Not Ready

Just one day after the World Health Organization declared the deadly mpox outbreak in Africa a global health emergency, Sweden reported its first case of a dangerous strain of the disease (and there may be more cases). The threat of a pandemic of mpox is here yet again. To curb this crisis, the affected countries in Africa need tests, vaccines and people to respond. Now.

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Explainer: Why the latest mpox outbreak is raising alarm among health experts

Why the latest mpox outbreak is raising alarm among health experts (cnbc.com)

  • Health experts have warned of the “many unknowns” surrounding the latest outbreak — and in particular a new subvariant — which could make it harder to contain.
  • Mpox is a viral infection which spreads through close contact and causes flu-like symptoms and lesions filled with pus. While usually mild, it can be fatal.
  • The WHO’s director for Europe, Dr. Hans Kluge, said Tuesday that the outbreak is “not the new Covid” and that it can be stopped with international cooperation.

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Mpox is a global health emergency, but seems unlikely to trigger another pandemic

 

 

Is mpox going to trigger another pandemic:

That seems highly unlikely. Pandemics, including the most recent ones of swine flu and COVID-19, are typically sparked by airborne viruses that spread quickly, including by people who may not be showing symptoms.

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Analysis: Antiviral TPOXX, used for mpox no better than placebo, NIH

The National Institutes of Health said Thursday that an antiviral often used to treat mpox did not resolve patients’ symptoms faster than placebo in a randomized trial.

The results are notable because the drug, tecovirimat, has rarely been studied clinically for mpox, despite its wide use during the 2022 and 2023 outbreaks in the U.S. and Europe.

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