Many of us will never forget the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak: schools nationwide shut down and people were forced to remain at home. Since then, the threat of another Covid-like lockdown has emerged in the form of Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox), specifically the more dangerous variant, clade 1. As of September 2024, there have been 29,000 reported cases and over 800 fatalities. Most of the cases originated from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but new cases have emerged in other countries such as Sweden, Thailand, and Pakistan. Will Mpox cause another lockdown? To answer this question, we have to know the differences between the Covid Mpox outbreaks.
Mpox is a contagious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. Those infected can experience symptoms such as a fever, painful rashes, headache, back and muscle pain, enlarged lymph nodes, and low energy. The disease is transmitted through close contact with an infected person or contaminated item. However, unlike Covid, Mpox is not an airborne disease making it significantly harder to spread.
Covid became a global pandemic because of its easy transmission, lack of an effective vaccine, and the public ignoring protocols despite being aware of the virus, which does not apply to Mpox. As stated previously, Mpox is harder to spread than to Covid. Moreover, the rashes caused by Mpox will automatically deter any close contact, unlike Covid whose symptoms were less obvious. Additionally, Mpox already has an effective vaccine: the JYYNEOS vaccine which is used for smallpox. This means that the spread of Mpox can be slowed down before it becomes a global pandemic, contrary to Covid which was rampant until the vaccine was created amid the pandemic. Most importantly, due to paranoia caused by Covid, the public will likely be more inclined to follow protocols such as social distancing and getting vaccinated. Surviving Covid means that we are better equipped to handle another pandemic. For instance, low-income countries were especially susceptible to Covid because they could not access vaccines. In response, the COVAX facility secured dosages for less fortunate countries and accelerated Covid vaccine production. These advancements amongst many more guarantee that another pandemic will not be as widespread as Covid was.
In short, the answer is no: it is unlikely that Mpox will turn into a global pandemic, and despite what social media is saying, there is little chance that schools will shut down. However, it remains crucial to take proper precautions. Avoiding contact with infected people and animals, washing your hands, and getting vaccinated are all viable options to ensure the safety of yourself and those around you!
