New York City just sent out an urgent alert about monkeypox (HT: Ken A.). Scott Gottlieb says the window for containing the virus ‘has probably closed’.
There is an outbreak of Monkeypox in NYC. Learn how you can protect yourself and others: nyc.gov/monkeypox.
Credit: CDC
We blew the response and are likely to be dealing with the virus for some time. What effect will this have on air travel?
- First, we don’t actually know yet, because the model for how monkeypox spreads we’re using is likely outdated. Given the spread we’ve seen it’s highly likely that the virus has become more infectious than it’s been over the past 50 years though still far less infectious than many other viruses.
- However we know that monkeypox spreads through close contact. That’s likely why it’s been concentrated among men who have sex with men, though it’s not likely to stay there since even if it were inherently sexually transmitted there would still be crossover events, and transmission isn’t limited to sexual contact.
- Moreover what made Covid-19 so scary – aerosolized transmission including by pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals – gave air travel a relative advantage. HEPA air filtration, downward air flown, and rapid refresh with outside air are protective against spread via aerosols but not as helpful for spread via close contact.
Despite pledges to broadly distribute vaccines to vulnerable groups only tens of thousands of shots actually made it into arms because we had over a million doses stored in a pharmaceutical facility in Denmark that had been inspected by the European Medical Agency but that the FDA took months to visit and the U.S. wouldn’t allow the doses to be used until they got off of their collective arses.
Meanwhile thanks to our same bureaucracy doctors must complete dozens of pages of paperwork to be permitted to treat a single case of monkeypox. So we’e completely blowing the response to monkeypox after completely blowing the response to Covid-19. And there are few signs we won’t completely blow the response to the next threat either. Whether monkeypox or something else becomes a threat broadly, including in travel, may be despite otherwise-controllable circumstances.
So far the view is that spread is primarily through skin-to-skin contact (including sexual contact) as well as via respiratory droplets and by sharing infected items like bedding or clothing. The medical establishment used to believe, though, that all cases of monkeypox were symptomatic cases however with this new outbreak we’re finding asymptomatic infections.
The numbers of known cases almost certainly are massively understating the number of actual cases at this point, even asymptomatic infection possibilities aside. Nonetheless the number of infections in absolute terms is almost certainly very small, so most people are very unlikely to come into close physical contact with someone that’s infected.
Nonetheless even before the coronavirus pandemic I didn’t love coming into close physical contact with strangers, let alone for prolonged periods, and let alone on airplanes (in the summer, in middle seats, with passengers in shorts and t-shirts and fighting over arm rests). And I don’t love underinvestment in hotel housekeeping where I might wind up sharing a comforter with the previous guest.
I do not consider myself at risk at this time and I am not taking precautions, although I regularly update my priors based on new information. As the facts change, I can change my mind. However the precautions taken earlier in the pandemic, such as extensive housekeeping, not only appeal to my previously-held preferences they seem better-suited to monkeypox and numerous other pathogens than to Covid-19.
Hmmmm. Two articles in the same morning. I think we know who Gary reads – and congrats, because she’s great. I highly suggest everyone sign up to at least the free version, just out of solidarity. The Woke and Trumpers need not apply, though they could learn a thing or two.
https://www.commonsense.news/p/monkeypox-what-you-actually-need
The CDC added a helpful poster to help passengers and flight crews who frequently share an overnight crash pad reduce the transmission of the Monkeypox virus. Hopefully, all flight crews will follow these Safer Sex and Social Gatherings recommendations to stay healthy and prevent future flight cancellations and sick-outs.
https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/pdf/MPX_Social_Gatherings_Safer_Sex-508.pdf
Gary,
While not AIDS or another STD this has almost exclusively been transmitted (at least in the US and Europe) through gay sex. If you aren’t gay or bi you are at low risk. Personally I’m not worried as I don’t fit that demographic and also don’t have skin to skin contact with anyone outside my immediate family. CDC isn’t even calling this endemic yet. No need to panic although we will likely see Fauci on the news recommending the equivalent of masks for everyone.
@ Gary — You omit the fact that those over age 50 or so are protected by their childhood smallpox vaccine.
Just wear a burka…..it covers all transmission vectors.
@C_M – I don’t actually read Bari Weiss, though I listened to her podcast once when she interviewed my boss
All I can say is “follow the money.” Ought to be called “Moneypox”. The stench of Big Pharma lingers in the air.
@AC – I think it would be more accurate to say that it’s almost exclusively transmitted through promiscuity – which is prevalent in certain segments of the gay community. There’s nothing inherent about “gay sex”, unlike AIDS, that makes monkeypox more transmissible. A monogamous couple of any persuasion is at virtually no risk. You go bonking through a dozen partners in a week/month/year, you’re going to catch something, and it may be worse than monkeypox.
The fact that public health authorities won’t speak out against promiscuity for fear of appearing “prudish” or not “sex positive” or “Christian” says a lot. Most human societies developed monogamy for a number of reasons – prevention of disease just being one of them.
I’m a heterosexual female and I contacted monkeypox in Spain, with no contact with anyone. I was there with another female friend for two weeks, doing a roadtrip, and I got a rash on my wrist. When I came back to the US I went to the ER and they tested me, which came back positive.
This is not a gay disease, and it certainly does spread without human to human contact. I’m suspecting the bed linen/towels in hotels where I got it from.
Oh My God!!!!!!!! Run For Your Lives!!!!!!!!!!!!
We’re All Going To DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not.
@Alan: hehehehehehehehe. Awesome.
In all seriousness, the completely widespread stupidity over Covid has rendered pretty much any warning over any new “germ/virus” immediately obsolete.
@Gene-that’s a very important point. Prior smallpox vaccination is at least 85% protective against monkey pox (and likely closer to 100%).
Unless you’re heading off to do some international surfing of the grindr app or some similar exploits, the answer is: it’s won’t affect you at all. Simple as that.
Most likely all gay men will have to show proof of monkeypox vax, and the airline staff gets to decide who looks gay (or a govt list of gay people they check against)
“…aerosolized transmission including by pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals…”
It’s incredible how uninformed and reactionary Gary is. He’s actually advancing the “asymptomatic” spread malarky. We’ve known since at least December, 2020 that this wasn’t true. Where has he been?
How might it affect travel? I’m guessing positively since it’s transmitted by close contact. Hotels will be required to clean again & – if we’re lucky – the may block middle seats again.That was kinda nice.
Gary, you ever like…ban people for outright hatred on your site? Or is it okay that we have koggerj calling this a gay disease?
I definitely don’t think you’re a homophobe but this is getting gross man.
@Joey – I hadn’t seen it, thank you for pointing it out
“…calling this a gay disease?”
“Truth uncompromisingly told will always have its ragged edges.”
Herman Melville
@AC that’s almost certain to be false once this spreads further. All positive cases are coming from the gay community because the testing guidance only allows for gay people to be tested. Once the testing guidance is widened you will soon find out that it’s prevalent in all communities
Avoid sexual relations and other things that involve the exchange of bodily fluids getting into your mouth and the chances of getting Monkey Pox remain extremely low. That may change if the virus mutates into something far more communicable.
This monkey pox virus is not restricted to LGBTQ+ community members. It also spreads via heterosexual sexual relations among CIS community members.
@Joey how am I wrong. Even the cdc agrees with me
Koggerj,
While the prevalence of a disease may be higher in some segments of a population than in a population at large, the CDC has never said that this disease is confined to being carried and spread only by gay community members. It’s a human disease, not a “gay disease”. Heterosexual males and females are not immune from carrying and spreading the monkey pox virus.
Gary, all you need to do is stop having sex with other men and you have nothing to worry about. At least until whatever is coming next (Wombatpox?).
Take care of this issue by spending $11 on Amazon: I bought a few set of disposable bed sheet set and pillow case for travel in the last couple months, and bring my own light weight bath towel. Just trash it when check out hotel.