In an effort to be more politically correct and sensitive as to not hurt people’s feelings, the New York City Health Department will no longer be using the term “monkeypox” to refer to a virus that has infected tens of thousands of people in the United States.
The move comes after health officials realized that the name was inaccurate and could potentially stigmatize those who had been infected. Instead, they have given it the name MPV. Hmm…I wonder what those letters stand for?
Monkeypox is a viral disease that is similar to smallpox. It is found primarily in Africa and can be deadly in rare cases. The first recorded outbreak of monkeypox occurred in Congo in 1970. Since then, there have been sporadic outbreaks of the disease, usually in rural areas of Africa.
The virus is typically spread through contact with an infected animal, such as a monkey, rat, or squirrel. It can also be spread from person to person through close contact with an infected individual, especially through sexual intercourse. Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches, and a rash that can lead to blister-like lesions.
In 2003, there was an outbreak of monkeypox in the United States. The outbreak was traced back to pet prairie dogs that had been imported from Africa. Since then, there have been sporadic cases of monkeypox reported in the U.S., typically in people who have recently traveled to Africa or have been in close contact with someone who has. Back then, there were only 72 reported cases of the virus.
This time has been much worse and it’s mostly because of how careless the main community who is affected by the virus has been. They’re basically have treated it as though nothing is happening and instead of letting this one just phase out and go away, they continue to party like it’s 1999. Unlike the “two weeks to slow the spread” with the you-know-what, it would actually work with this virus.