There used to be so many updates on monkeypox. Now, there is almost no news regarding the virus.
Monkeypox (MPXV) is a viral disease that spread starting in May 2022. The primary symptom in people who have MPXV is a rash located on part of their body that lasts for 2-4 weeks, as well as flu-like symptoms. MPXV can be spread through any close or intimate contact.
MPXV isn’t showing up in the news anymore, which may be because the vaccine is effective. A study by the WHO (World Health Association) says that the smallpox vaccine can be used to combat MPXV, and was shown to be 85% effective. Compared to the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, which is 68% effective, and the influenza vaccine, which is 40-60% effective, the vaccine is pretty effective, which is a factor to the disappearance of MPXV.
Maren Anderson, a science teacher at Blake, compared this news situation to Ukraine. “Ukraine is still fighting a very real war with Russia, and you don’t see it in the news as often right now.” She says that the media pays more attention to news stories that are “prominent to most people’s lives.” MPXV primarily affects certain communities, so when news coverages are choosing what to talk about, MPXV wouldn’t be one of the first things they think of. On top of that, COVID-19 is still at the top of our minds, and when MPXV started spreading, Anderson says “we became more aware of how it would affect us individually, so we could decide how to react.”
