Human-to-human transmission is less common, but can occur when a person is in close contact with someone who is infected.
Health authorities indicate that anyone can become infected if they come into contact with someone infected. Photo: Shutterstock.
After the announcement of the World Health Organization about the health emergency worldwide, due to the cases of monkey pox that exceed 15 thousand, the doubts regarding the symptoms and how the patients live were narrated, due to the generalized stigma that they live.
Thiagoa Brazilian man who lives in Sao Paulo, Brazildiscovered that it was one of those cases after going to a hospital with symptoms such as fever discharge, tiredness, chills and wounds all over the body.
But his main complaints were pain, inflammation and burning in the genitals, where at least nine wounds appeared on the skin. “It hurts and itches a lot. The whole area is quite inflamed, sometimes it seems like it’s on fire,” she told the BBC.
Thiago’s symptoms began on July 10, “first I felt strong chills followed by a high fever, pain in the headache and general malaise. She felt like my whole body was broken,” she says.
“I thought it could be a cold or even covid-19, but the next day, while taking a shower, I noticed the first injuries on my back and penis.” Since then, Thiago has detected injuries to his feet, thighs, arms, stomach, chest, face and genitals.
“They’re almost like swollen, painful pimples,” he says. She went to the hospital on the third day of having symptoms, after a friend she had been in contact with a week earlier was diagnosed with monkeypox.
A blood test confirmed that he had the virus. was also made tests for transmitted infections sex that were negative.
“It took me a while to get to the hospital because it was almost impossible to put on my clothes from the pain I was in. Even the car ride made the pain and swelling worse.”
In the hospital, Thiago says that the doctors prescribed anti-inflammatories and painkillers, as well as an analgesic ointment, which has relieved the burning sensation. “The ointment helps, but after four hours it wears off and the pain returns,” he adds.
He and his friend have not left Brazil in recent months. “As soon as I got out of the hospital, I called friends I’d been in contact with in the previous days and reported the diagnosis to neighbors,” she says.
Stigma
In addition to the pain and itching, Thiago says he had a difficult time in the hospital. “They didn’t explain to me how to clean the wounds, how long he would be sick or when he could come out of isolation. I had to look up all this information on the internet or ask medical friends,” he says.
“There is not a special area for people with monkeypox. Patients with the disease enter and move freely in the hospital. I didn’t feel they were prepared,” he adds. He also mentions “rough and disrespectful” treatment from doctors and nurses.
“At the where I went to the hospital they asked me if I was HIV positive or if I had other sexually transmitted diseases. I felt the stigma that is associated with this disease when I entered the hospital,” says Thiago, referring to the link of people from the LGBTQ community with the current outbreak.
monkey pox
Monkeypox is caused by a virus in the same family as smallpox, but it is much less severe. It can be spread to humans from an infected animal, such as a monkey, rat, or squirrel, as reported in the medical literature.
It is also known that human-to-human transmission is not that common, but occurs when a person is in close contact with someone who is infected. The infection is transmitted through breaks in the skin, the respiratory tract, the eyes and the mouth.
Touching infected clothing, sheets, or towels used by someone with a monkeypox rash can also spread the virus. According to the WHO, cases have been identified in men who have sex with men.
The organization warns, however, that anyone can become infected if they come into contact with someone who is infected.
The UK Health Security Agency said a “remarkable proportion” of recent cases in the UK and Europe have been in gay and bisexual men, asking them to “pay attention to symptoms and seek help if they are affected.” worried.”
Source consulted here.