Jun 28, 2022 07:32 PM
(This post was last modified: Jun 28, 2022 09:42 PM by C C.)
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shot...reak-in-us
EXCERPT: On the surface, the monkeypox outbreak in the U.S. doesn't look that bad, especially compared with other countries. Since the international epidemic began in May, the U.S. has recorded 201 cases of monkeypox. In contrast, the U.K. has nearly 800 cases. Spain and Germany both have more than 500.
But in the U.S., the official case count is misleading, Makofane and other scientists tell NPR. The outbreak is bigger — perhaps much bigger — than the case count suggests. For many of the confirmed cases, health officials don't know how the person caught the virus. Those infected haven't traveled or come into contact with another infected person. That means the virus is spreading in some communities and cities, cryptically.
"The fact that we can't reconstruct the transmission chain means that we are likely missing a lot of links in that chain," Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at Brown University, says. "And that means that those infected people haven't had the opportunity to receive medicines to help them recover faster and not develop severe symptoms. "But it also means that they're possibly spreading the virus without knowledge of the fact that they're infected," she adds.
In other words: "We have no concept of the scale of the monkeypox outbreak in the U.S.," says biologist Joseph Osmundson at New York University. "
Why are so few cases getting detected? Testing. In many ways, the U.S. has dropped the ball on monkeypox testing.Across the nation, public health agencies are running too few tests — way too few, Osmundson says... (MORE - missing details)
EXCERPT: On the surface, the monkeypox outbreak in the U.S. doesn't look that bad, especially compared with other countries. Since the international epidemic began in May, the U.S. has recorded 201 cases of monkeypox. In contrast, the U.K. has nearly 800 cases. Spain and Germany both have more than 500.
But in the U.S., the official case count is misleading, Makofane and other scientists tell NPR. The outbreak is bigger — perhaps much bigger — than the case count suggests. For many of the confirmed cases, health officials don't know how the person caught the virus. Those infected haven't traveled or come into contact with another infected person. That means the virus is spreading in some communities and cities, cryptically.
"The fact that we can't reconstruct the transmission chain means that we are likely missing a lot of links in that chain," Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at Brown University, says. "And that means that those infected people haven't had the opportunity to receive medicines to help them recover faster and not develop severe symptoms. "But it also means that they're possibly spreading the virus without knowledge of the fact that they're infected," she adds.
In other words: "We have no concept of the scale of the monkeypox outbreak in the U.S.," says biologist Joseph Osmundson at New York University. "
Why are so few cases getting detected? Testing. In many ways, the U.S. has dropped the ball on monkeypox testing.Across the nation, public health agencies are running too few tests — way too few, Osmundson says... (MORE - missing details)