CNN just reported that six people have died as a result of being infected with monkeypox. These six deaths include two people in New York City, two in Chicago, one person in Nevada, and one in Maryland. With the reporting of these deaths does come the news that monkeypox infections are way down. The Chicago Department of Health Commissioner (CDPH) Dr. Allison Arwady, had this to say about the virus,
“Though the number of new MPV cases has declined substantially since summer, this is a stark reminder that MPV is dangerous and can cause serious illness, and in very rare cases, even death.”
Monkeypox update as of October 30th:
Cases worldwide: 76,871
US cases: 28,302
Worldwide deaths: 36
US deaths: 6We are seeing a slight uptick in cases in the last couple of weeks compared to the last couple of months. Death rate remains extremely low.
— The Ebola Outbreak (Monkeypoxtally) (@Monkeypoxtally) October 30, 2022
Related: First US death to monkeypox as gay hookups drops
The drop in monkeypox infections is a bit of good news coming out of the CDC. The queer community knows how to survive a plague – we have done it time and time again. In NYC in June lines swarmed around city blocks. People waited, many for hours, to get vaccinated. Hookup apps saw a steep decline in users as some rode out the wave by abstaining from sex or severely limiting the number of partners they had. NPR reported in mid-October on the infection rate,
“monkeypox cases have declined since a peak in early August – from 440 cases a day, down to 60 – and they’re the lowest they’ve been since June. The virus has continued to circulate almost entirely within gay and queer sexual networks. And vaccine supply is plentiful, even outstripping the current demand.”
Gay culture is running into several people you know in the waiting room for the monkeypox vaccine 😌. If you haven’t booked a slot yet, do so now: https://t.co/PKsFOe7Efp pic.twitter.com/sWMUXV2DM8
— Dr Carl Gibson (@carl_al_ajnabee) November 6, 2022
Unfortunately, good news for the States does not translate to good news for other countries. Vallarta Daily reported on how homophobia and ignorance in Mexico are causing a rise in infections,
“In Mexico’s health system, which is usually stigmatizing and discriminatory towards people from the LGBTTTI community, monkeypox infections have increased division, in addition to the lack of protocols to deal with cases and a lack of vaccines to combat them.”
What about you Instincters? Have you gotten your monkeypox vaccine yet? Sound off in the comments below.
Sources: NPR, The Advocate, Vallarta Daily , CNN
