New Delhi: A man in California, US, has claimed that he was infected with the coronavirus and monkeypox at the same time, as reported by WION. Micho Thompson said he developed lesions on his body last month showing signs of monkeypox infection and claimed that doctors were convinced he had both COVID-19 and the monkeypox virus, which caused him to be sick for weeks. Doctors have called it a rare case.Also Read – Could monkeypox be the new STD? 95% of cases are transmitted through sexual activity, studies show. Top points to know
The development came as the World Health Organization’s emergency committee convened on Thursday to consider for the second time within weeks whether to declare monkeypox a global emergency. A recent study revealed that the monkeypox virus is transmitted through sexual activity in at least 95 percent of cases. Also Read – India’s 101st rank in the Global Hunger Index is not a true picture, says the government
Overall, 98 percent of infected individuals were gay or bisexual men, 75 percent were white, and 41 percent had human immunodeficiency virus infection. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said communities faced deadly discrimination while pointing out that “men who have sex with men may be stigmatized or blamed for the outbreak.” Also Read – Third case of monkeypox detected in Kerala’s Mallapuram, alert declared
About monkeypox: Important points to know
- Monkeypox has plagued parts of central and western Africa for decades, where diseased wild animals occasionally infect people in rural areas in relatively contained epidemics.
- The disease has been spreading among gay and bisexual men in Europe, North America and beyond since at least May.
- Epidemics in rich countries probably started because of sex in two raves in Spain and Belgium.
- There are now more than 15,000 cases of monkeypox worldwide.
- The United States, Britain, Canada and other rich countries have bought millions of vaccines.
- In Africa, where a more severe version of monkeypox has already killed more than 70 people, no vaccine has been found.
- Rich countries have yet to report any monkeypox deaths.
(with inputs from agencies)
