Rise of monkeypox: Lessons from COVID-19 pandemic to mitigate global health crises

Abstract

Introduction: The emergence and spread of infectious diseases with pandemic potential has occurred regularly throughout history. HIV/AIDS, bubonic plague, smallpox, and influenza are some of the highest-profile examples. The COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020, by the World Health Organization (WHO). Alongside other measures such as restrictions on population mixing and the use of face masks, COVID-19 vaccination has been arguably the most effective intervention in reducing deaths and severe COVID-19 disease. As of May 23, 2022, almost 12 billion vaccine doses have been administered globally [1]. Monkeypox is a rare viral zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus. This virus has 2 strains, the West African and the Congo Basin clades [2]. On May 13, 2022, the WHO reported several cases of monkeypox virus infections, across three of its regions: namely Africa, the Americas, and the European Region. As of the June 8, 2022, about 1285 laboratory-confirmed cases were detected in 28 regions [3]. This rare viral disease commonly endemic in West and Central Africa has now been detected in more than 11 non-African countries such as the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America. Health authorities in the United Kingdom established a special task force to coordinate the extensive contact tracing of people who had contact with the confirmed cases. In addition, vaccination has been offered to higher-risk contacts [4]. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is typically spread by respiratory aerosols or droplets. Monkeypox can be transmitted via respiratory aerosols, but transmission can be via contact with lesions, bodily fluids, and contaminated materials such as bedding and towels. The basic reproduction number for monkeypox appears to be much lower than COVID19, hence transmission should be slower than has been observed from COVID-19 outbreaks [5]. Some patients may display clinical features including the classical skin rashes and listers, along with symptoms such as headache, fever, swollen lymph nodes, muscle and body aches, back pain, and exhaustion. The West African strain is the type of monkeypox virus responsible for the 2022 outbreak, and this strain appears to cause less severe disease compared to the Congo Basin strain, with a case fatality rate of 3.6% compared to 10.6% for the Congo Basin strain [6]. The pandemic response to COVID-19 has provided significant new knowledge, some of which could be adapted and applied to the 2022 Monkeypox outbreak, minimizing its spread and reducing the global impact.