The current outbreak of Mpox has sparked a surge in online disinformation
There has been commentary on social media raising concerns that Mpox is the new Covid-19 and that a lockdown is on its way. There has also been disinformation around Mpox and how it is spread.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that an outbreak of the Mpox Clade 1b strain in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was now a “public health emergency of international concern“.
Mpox, a viral infection that causes pus-filled lesions and flu-like symptoms, is usually mild but can kill. It can be caught by close contact with another person and touching infected surfaces and items.
There are two strains of Mpox – Clade 1 and Clade 2.
Clade 1 has a high fatality rate, and a mutant strain of it, Clade 1b, has spread rapidly.
The current outbreak of Mpox has sparked a surge in online disinformation, such as that only gay men are affected and that there will be a Covid-19-like event and lockdown.
Richard Martinello, an infectious disease specialist at Yale University, said:
“There is no infectious disease in the world whose transmission is limited by a person’s sexual orientation.
“It is close, skin-to-skin contact which can lead to the spread of Mpox, not one’s sexual orientation.”
Moreover, in the DRC and neighbouring countries, Clade 1b is being spread along trucking routes with drivers having heterosexual sex with exploited sex workers, in addition to infected people also passing it onto children through close contact.
Leandre Murhula Masirika, a Health Department Research Co-ordinator in DRC’s South Kivu province, asserted:
“There is a sex industry in the mining city, and it has rapidly spread out to border countries because of the massive movement of people.”
The virus is not only transmitted through sex. However, it is spread through close physical contact.
WHO has also stressed the need for the public to be wary of misinformation.
There is a lot of misinformation circulating about #mpox.
Your health is precious. Only seek health advice from credible sources including your doctor, WHO or your local health authority.
Check the FAQs to know who is at risk & how to protect yourself: https://t.co/EMCaukiTEm pic.twitter.com/72gQ5WtPB2
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) August 23, 2024
WHO has issued laundry guidance advising against sharing towels and washing them at high temperatures to kill germs.
Even freshly washed towels contain 190,000 counts of bacteria. This increases to 17 million after just one day of use and 94 million after a week.
The updated advice reflects the heightened risk posed by Clade 1b.
The Clade 1b variety of Mpox has triggered global concern because it spreads more easily through routine close contact.
Dr Jake Dunning, a Mpox scientist and doctor who has treated Mpox patients in the UK, stated:
“We have to avoid the trap of thinking this is going to be Covid all over again and we’re going to have lockdowns – or that this will play out like Mpox did in 2022.”
Mpox is not expected to result in a Covid-level event.
This has happened multiple times with Mpox in the past in the UK.
There is genuine concern about a new variant of the virus, hence the global alert. However, WHO’s Europe Regional Director, Dr Hans Kluge, said the risk to the general population was low:
“Are we going to go in lockdown in the WHO European region, it’s another Covid-19? The answer is clearly: ‘no’.
“Two years ago, we controlled Mpox [Clade 2] in Europe thanks to the direct engagement with the most affected communities of men who have sex with men.
“In 2022, Mpox showed us it can spread quickly around the world.
“We can, and must, tackle Mpox together – across regions and continents.
“Will we choose to put the systems in place to control and eliminate Mpox globally, or will we enter another cycle of panic, then neglect?”
Mpox is not the new Covid, says Hans Kluge, who is the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe. Kluge said at a virtual UN press briefing that a coordinated response is most needed in Africa where the WHO recently declared a public health emergency. pic.twitter.com/siPi42rUG9
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) August 20, 2024
Dr Kluge added that about 100 new Clade 2 cases were now being reported in the European region every month.
It is important to note that this is the second time in three years that the WHO has designated a Mpox epidemic as a global emergency.
The WHO has urged manufacturers to increase production of two Mpox vaccines. WHO also asked countries with stockpiles to donate them to countries with ongoing outbreaks.
Moreover, the UK government has pledged £3.1 million for the DRC.
The goal is to bolster the regional African response to outbreaks of Mpox and cholera in the country.
Ray Collins, Minister for Africa, announced the financial support to Begive. The focus is on helping over 4.4 million people in affected communities and stopping the spread of the disease.
Collins said: “Working together with our partners and using the expertise and dedication of Congolese scientists, including those at the world-leading research centre I have visited in DRC, our support will play an important role in ensuring global health security for all.
“By protecting the health and well-being of communities across DRC, and by helping contain these outbreaks, we reduce the risk of diseases spreading further afield.
“This will ultimately benefit us all.”
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