On Friday, we learned that the federal government declared a public health emergency to bolster the response to the monkeypox outbreak in the U.S.

In a world that has made it through monthslong shutdowns due to a virus that has devastated economies and families of those lost, the possibility of a new illness circling over our heads would make anyone uncomfortable.

However, discomfort is not a valid reason to cause panic. Not yet, anyway.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, monkeypox can spread to anyone through close, personal, often skin-to-skin contact, including direct contact with monkeypox rash, scabs or fluids from a person with monkeypox, or touching objects, fabrics (clothing, bedding or towels), and surfaces that have been used by someone with monkeypox.

A person with monkeypox can spread it to others from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed. The illness typically lasts two to four weeks.

There you have it. Perpetuating rumors or marginalizing minority groups will serve no purpose in keeping the public aware and safe.

The directions for prevention techniques that the CDC has available aren’t so different from avoiding someone in your house with a common cold: don’t share eating utensils or bedding, and steer clear of close contact until the illness abates.

Now comes the question that’s become synonymous with the word “virus.” What about a vaccine?

Monkeypox and smallpox viruses are genetically similar, which means that antiviral drugs and vaccines developed to protect against smallpox may be used to prevent and treat monkeypox virus infections. The preferred vaccine to protect against monkeypox is JYNNEOS, which is a two-dose vaccine.

While it’s important to consult with your health care provider before you run for the clinic, those at risk of contracting monkeypox include people who have been identified by public health officials as a contact of someone with monkeypox, those who are aware that one of their sexual partners in the past two weeks has been diagnosed with monkeypox, and people who had multiple sexual partners in the past two weeks in an area with known monkeypox.

Also on that list are public health workers and laboratory technicians who study or test for orthopoxviruses.

While it’s important to be armed via precautions and a vaccine if your doctor feels it’s necessary for you, education is the best weapon in your arsenal.

The last thing anyone wants is to repeat the mistakes of viruses past when common sense can be utilized in place of hysteria.

Be vigilant. Be careful. But, above all, be educated.

—CM