#monkeypox

NEW YORK (AP) — The federal government’s disease-tracking agency has paused its diagnostic testing for rabies, monkeypox and a number of other infectious diseases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week posted a list of more than two dozen types of testing that have become unavailable.

This is not the first time the CDC has paused some of its lab testing. But it is pausing more kinds of tests than ever before, and it is not totally clear why, said Scott Becker, chief executive officer of the Association of Public Health Laboratories.

A government spokesman called the pause temporary and attributed it to “a routine review to uphold our commitment to high quality laboratory testing.”

Had to do a write-up on monkeypox to combat the fucking HIV/AIDS era homophobia the media has decided to go with on their coverage of this outbreak. 

If you don’t want to read the article, here is the reason why most monkeypox cases currently confirmed happen to be in cisgender gay men, medically noted as MSM (cis men who have sex with cis men): 

Gay cisgender men are far more likely to seek early healthcare assistance for any new or suspicious skin blemishes-- Like lesions. 

This is because during HIV/AIDS, the queer community realised A FULL DECADE before the formal clinical diagnostic criteria were formulated for AIDS that Kaposi’s sarcomas were often a visual physical sign that someone had HIV/AIDS. 

A lot of us older queer people have it burned into our brains that any suspicious skin damage or marks should be an immediate indication to go to a doctor, because it can mean someone may be seriously unwell. 

So, naturally, since gay cisgender men are generally the most likely to seek care for any suspicious skin lesions far earlier than other patient cohorts, of course you’re going to have a lot of cis gay men overrepresented in early detected cases of an illness which manifests with physical lesions. 

key points:

mpox is not new & it is not like covid

smallpox vaccines are effective against mpox ("at least 86%")

"JYNNEOS (Imvanex, IMVAMUNE) is a non-replicating vaccine for smallpox that CAN BE USED SAFELY in immunocompromised individuals and individuals with skin conditions such as eczema against Mpox"

WHO declared public health emergency status due to surge in cases in & around the DRC (i'm assuming this spread of the disease is linked to the crisis)

"we also have some antiviral drugs (such as Tecovirimat) that can help treat those who are already infected. Vaccinia immune globulin (VIG) can be used against monkeypox"

you should be able to get the jynneos vaccine at your local pharmacy if you are concerned about exposure!

Read CDC’s updated recommendations for people with #monkeypox. If you have monkeypox, isolate until your rash has fully healed. If you need to go out, cover your rash, wear a well-fitting mask, and avoid public transportation. Learn more:

— CDC (@CDCgov) August 1, 2022

Why wear a well-fitting mask for mpox? Unless it's….