Monkeypox: Why The Marist Community Should Be Vigilant
Virus case counts. Source: Markus Spiske on Pexels
On August 17, the Marist community received an email about the upcoming semester's health & safety guidelines from Vice President of Student Affairs Deborah DiCaprio – including information about the monkeypox virus.
DiCaprio stated that Marist is monitoring updates from the State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The email also mentioned that this virus is, “a rare disease in the same family of viruses that cause smallpox… while symptoms are similar to smallpox, they are milder and rarely fatal.” DiCaprio acknowledged the misinformation spreading about monkeypox, and that this misinformation “stigmatizes members of certain demographic groups.” Marist advised the community that the college is committed to providing reliable information and guidance to keep students, faculty and staff safe.
While this email touches on important information about monkeypox, there is still more information about the disease that deserves further investigation.
To start understanding the disease better, it's key to know some of the basics. The New York State Health Department says that monkeypox “spreads through close, physical contact between people.” The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) says respiratory droplets, oral fluids and contact with monkeypox rash or scabs can spread the disease.
Monkeypox can be spread through sexual intercourse, close physical contact (hugging, kissing, cuddling) with an infected person and touching items used by someone with monkeypox (bed sheets, clothing towels & other surfaces). Symptoms include a rash which can look like pimples/blisters, fever and flu-like symptoms. These rashes can form all over the body, including in and around the genitals.
One element of the conversation around the outbreak is sexual intercourse, particularly between self-identified males having sex with other males (MSM). The Washington Post reported that members of the LGTBQ+ community, specifically male-identifying gay and bisexual people, have been afflicted by stigmatization since the spread of monkeypox is concentrated within this demographic, according to the CDC. On top of this, a lack of urgency to quell the disease by health officials and a poor vaccine rollout has compounded the issue.
Monkeypox is a significant problem in the queer community, due to misinformation coupled with healthcare inequality for those seeking treatment. Despite the narrative singling out queer individuals, monkeypox has been shown to spread to anyone, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. In short, everyone’s attention should be on this disease.
There are a total of 14,115 cases across the United States (including nine cases in Dutchess County as of August 24) with cases going upwards, affecting people of all races, genders, sexual orientations, etc. It's necessary to point out that while monkeypox is not fatal and is considered rare at this point, complacency and safety during this outbreak cannot be overlooked.
Part of the reason this disease requires our attention as a college community comes down to how this illness is spread. Although monkeypox has not been officially labeled a sexually transmitted disease, monkeypox can still be spread through sexual intercourse and close, intimate contact. College campuses are no strangers to sex, which means that there should be an emphasis on information about safe-sex practices at all times, but especially during this monkeypox outbreak.
Realistically, abstinence on a large scale to avoid monkeypox is not feasible, and a proactive approach to providing education and resources to students should be the focus. The CDC has a valuable list of safe sex practices that include the recommendation of using condoms and gloves during intercourse, along with advice to disinfect items used in sexual intercourse between use to minimize the spread.
This sort of non-stigmatizing, effective public health information should be used to educate the student population, and help dismiss some of the misinformation around monkeypox. It is also very important to note that monkeypox is not spread through sexual intercourse alone, but can be spread through close contact. This sort of contact doesn’t exclusively mean close personal contact, but if a person is around an infected individual for some time and comes into contact with contaminated materials from the ill individual, that person runs a risk of contracting monkeypox. Fortunately, casual contact with others like passing by or bumping into a person hasn’t been shown to spread the illness.
Unfortunately, data does not yet exist to see the effect that monkeypox has had on college campuses, meaning that vigilance is going to be key as well as access to information, resources and vaccines for those eligible.
Right now, a reactive approach to monkeypox has shown to be ineffective. Ahead of beginning this semester on campus, comprehensive resources and education should be available to the Marist community, to take a proactive approach to the monkeypox outbreak.
If students suspect that they are ill with monkeypox, they should contact their healthcare provider and seek treatment.