The mention of another quarantine is controversial. Some students may shrug and accept the invitation to stay home, they just prefer to learn in their room. Other students worry about isolation, the need to socialize. Which is critical for them to be content.
“I’m afraid of having to go back to the way we used to learn.” reveals Junior, Myelle Bartholomew at Stafford High School. With Covid still being a fresh wound, information of a new outbreak; Monkeypox, also known as MPOX, is causing worry to ripple through the student body.
“I think there is just a lot of confusion around what’s actually going on.” Admits Stafford High School Junior, Juliet Meyer. “It feels like there’s just a lot of rumors.” What is the truth about MPOX then?
MPOX is a viral disease that often affects primates. However, what we hear about most often is the effect on people. MPOX spreads through skin to skin, saliva, and sexual contact. The first symptoms will often show up between 1-20 days after exposure. If you believe you’ve been exposed, it is recommended to be on the lookout for muscle aches, fever, back pain, and of course, the infamous skin rashes or lesions.
The lesions begin on the hands and face and continue through the rest of the body. While these symptoms are alarming for health and cosmetic reasons, the disease isn’t risky for the average person. Those who are considered dangerously at risk if they contract illness are the elderly, pregnant, and people with weakened immune systems.
When asked what she thinks about MPOX, Stafford High School Junior, Amelia Perez replies “I think most people are connecting it to COVID. Thinking about it though, I’m not too worried.”
In September, the World Health Organization shared their take on how worried we should be.
“People shouldn’t be alarmed about another COVID-like situation. COVID is primarily a respiratory illness [while] MPOX is quite difficult to catch.” The World Health Organization’s lead on high threat pathogens, Dr. Marc-Alain Widdowson emphasizes.
Tensions may rise around the hallways surrounded by fear and false information, but there is truly no reason to panic. The Stafford School system is far from even considering any sort of lockdown. As long as you are equipped with the information to identify early signs and symptoms in yourself or in others you are well prepared to keep yourself safe.
