Opinion: Could monkeypox be next pandemic?

I’ve been seeing more and more articles about monkeypox in the last several months.

Just last week, an AP article headlined “UK reports 104 new cases of monkeypox” informed me that the 104 cases of the disease were “what had become the biggest outbreak beyond Africa of the normally rare disease.” According to the United Kingdom’s Health Security Agency, there are now “470 cases of monkeypox across the country.”

Further reading of the article informed me that the “vast majority” of cases were in gay or bisexual men.

At this point, the writer, apparently realizing he could possibly be slighting a protected victim class, noted: “Scientists warn that anyone, regardless of sexual orientation, is susceptible to catching monkeypox if they are in close physical contact with an infected person or their clothing or bed sheets.”

It also happens that 99% of the cases in England, so far, have been in men and most are in London.

For some perspective on the reported story, consider the following:

According to Wikipedia, in 2019 England had an estimated population of 56.25 million. By any stretch of the imagination, 470 cases of a disease in a population that size would be considered “rare.” The article indicates that 470 cases were “across the country” while also stating that 99% of cases of gay men were in London.

This leaves less than 10 cases for the rest of the country, and can hardly be construed to be a country-wide health problem.

Journalists seem to move from one form of measure of quantity to another, which makes it difficult for the reader to keep track of the numbers. As an example, we are given the exact number of cases in England as 470. Then we are informed that the “vast majority” of these cases are gay or bisexual men. This could lead one to believe that all but one of the cases were in gays, or that as few as 350 were gay, which would still give us a “vast majority.” Numbers matter, especially in medicine and money.

I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on television, but here is some practical advice gleaned from reading medical news items over the years.

To avoid monkeypox, do not have sex with gay or bisexual men in London. Oh, and stay away from close physical contact with their clothing or bed sheets.

One final, minor, detail that should be raised with the monkeypox threat rearing its ugly head: Are we at the onset of another propaganda pandemic that could result in major upheavals in our societal behavior?

The thought never would have occurred to me 10 years ago, but doesn’t seem so far-fetched today.

Rube Render is a former Clovis city commissioner and former chair of the Curry County Republican Party. Contact him:

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