Pandemic & Public Health Literature

10.    Other Diseases

10.1 Monkeypox

• What is Monkeypox?: “Monkeypox has been known in Africa since 1958. It is one of a group of infections caused by variola virus, one of the zoonotic viruses. Zoonotic means a virus that lives in an animal host (e.g., monkeys) but can spread to humans with close contact and poor hygiene, such as in areas of Africa. There are several different variola virus infections in addition to Smallpox, which was essentially eradicated with the successful long-standing world-wide vaccination. Other variola infections are Monkeypox (milder than smallpox), Cowpox, Horsepox, Camelpox, and Vaccinia.” Please see Truth for Health Foundation for additional resources.
  
  
• As per COVID-19, there appears to be a substantial obsession with avoiding naming a virus with a name that indicates its origin. The reason provided appears to always be to avoid stigmatization. The true drive behind this obsession, however, is hard to discern, but may potentially be related to denial of reality of origin, in addition to development of names that may be potentially more alarming (to hMPXV). The underlying irrationality is reflected in the letter/document of the scientists requesting the name: “Urgent need for a non-discriminatory and non-stigmatizing nomenclature for monkeypox virus!! – non-discriminatory and non-stigmatizing to who?
  

10.2 Preplanned?

• Is it really a coincidence that every “outbreak” of a dramatized disease has been previously modelled, and often, a couple of months before the “outbreak” (even when the planning has been going on for years)? One can argue that it would be reasonable to model diseases that generally inflict humanity on a regular basis in order to seek to minimize the impact, but….
  
  
  “In March 2021, the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) partnered with the Munich Security Conference (MSC) to conduct a tabletop exercise on reducing high-consequence biological threats. Conducted virtually, the exercise examined gaps in national and international biosecurity and pandemic preparedness architectures and explored opportunities to improve capabilities to prevent and respond to high-consequence biological events. Participants included 19 senior leaders and experts from across Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe with decades of combined experience in public health, biotechnology industry, international security, and philanthropy.
  
  
  The exercise scenario portrayed a deadly, global pandemic involving an unusual strain of monkeypox virus that emerged in the fictional nation of Brinia and spread globally over 18 months.” (Yassif et al., 2021)
  

10.3 Sexually Transmitted Disease?

• Monkeypox DNA has been reported (e.g., here and here) to be found in semen.
  
  
• Antinori et al. (2022) report that “All four monkeypox patients were young adult men who have sex with men (MSM)”, and concludes that “the characteristics of the population involved, as well as reported exposure to multiple, condomless sexual contacts, suggest that human-to-human transmission through close physical contact in sexual networks plays a key role in the current outbreak”
  
  
• According to several news reports (Fox News and NBC News), citing Dr. David Heymann, former head of the WHO’s emergencies department, in his comments to the Associated Press, “the leading theory to explain the spread of the disease was sexual transmission among men at raves held in Spain and Belgium. Monkeypox has not previously triggered widespread outbreaks beyond Africa, where it is endemic in animals.” He explains that “We know monkeypox can spread when there is close contact with the lesions of someone who is infected, and it looks like sexual contact has now amplified that transmission.”
  
  
• “As of May 31, this investigation has identified 17 cases in the United States; most cases (16) were diagnosed in persons who identify as gay, bisexual, or men who have sex with men (MSM).” (Minhaj et al., 2022)
  
  
• While spread through direct contact, there is a clear trend of spread among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) as indicated by WHO, and other health authorities’, documents directed specifically towrads such sexual behavior:
  
  
  • UK Health Security Agency (AKHSA):
    
    • Monday 6 June 2022: “People who are gay or bisexual and men who have sex with men remain disproportionately affected.”
      
      
    • Wednesday 1 – Friday 3 June 2022 “Currently most cases have been in men who are gay, bisexual or have sex with men…”
      
      
    • Tuesday 31 May 2022: “Although this advice applies to everyone, the majority of the cases identified to date have been among men who are gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men…”
      
      
    • Thursday 26 May 2022: “Although this advice applies to everyone, a notable proportion of the cases identified to date have been among men who are gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men (MSM)”
      
      
    • Wednesday 25 May 2022:“A notable proportion of the cases identified to date have been among people who are gay, bisexual and MSM,…”
      
      
    • Monday 23 May 2022: “A notable proportion of recent cases in the UK and Europe have been found in gay and bisexual men so we are particularly encouraging these men to be alert to the symptoms.” (Dr Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser, UKHSA)
      
      
    • Wednesday 18 May 2022: “The latest cases bring the total number of monkeypox cases confirmed in England since 6 May to 9, with recent cases predominantly in gay, bisexual or men who have sex with men (MSM). The 2 latest cases have no travel links to a country where monkeypox is endemic, so it is possible they acquired the infection through community transmission. The virus spreads through close contact and UKHSA is advising individuals, particularly those who are gay, bisexual or MSM, to be alert to any unusual rashes or lesions on any part of their body, especially their genitalia, and to contact a sexual health service if they have concerns.”
      
      
  • WHO:
    
    • “As of May 21, however, the WHO had confirmed monkeypox among 92 people across 12 countries in Europe and North America, where it is not endemic, with another 28 suspected cases. And unlike the previous cases discovered outside Africa, the current outbreaks have occurred in people with no travel history, suggesting that human-to-human transmission is driving the spread. Despite the increase in cases and human-to-human transmission, the risk to the general public remains low, according to a briefing by the WHO…” (Harris, 2022)
      
      
  • CDC:
    
    • “”This is not COVID,” said Capt Jennifer McQuiston, US PHS, DVM, MS, of the CDC‘s Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, in a May 23 online media briefing. “We do know a lot about monkeypox from many decades of studying it. And respiratory spread is not the predominant worry. It is contact, and intimate contact, in the current outbreak setting and population.”” (Harris, 2022). Yet the CDC issued a Traveler’s Health Notice that stated “Wear a mask. Wearing a mask can help protect you from many diseases, including monkeypox.” An update quickly removed this statement.
      
      
• Despite the information above, there is still an effort to dramatize the situation (e.g., here and here).