Tue Sep 10 23:20:53 UTC 2024: ## Monkeypox Not as Contagious as COVID-19, Says AIIMS Doctor
**New Delhi:** Following the detection of a monkeypox case in India, there is growing anxiety among the public. However, Dr. Sanjay Rai, Professor of Community Medicine at AIIMS, has urged people not to panic. While acknowledging the disease is painful, he emphasized that it does not spread as rapidly as COVID-19.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared monkeypox a global health emergency, but Dr. Rai assured that the threat of widespread infection is not as severe as with COVID-19. He explained that monkeypox, a 50-year-old virus, has been studied extensively, unlike the novel coronavirus.
Dr. Rai further clarified that while monkeypox can spread through droplets, it mainly transmits through close contact. This makes isolation of patients from family members relatively easy.
He also pointed out that individuals who have been vaccinated for smallpox or had the disease in the past are less likely to contract monkeypox. Moreover, monkeypox has a lower fatality rate than smallpox, with most patients recovering within two to four weeks.
Dr. Neeraj Nishchal, Additional Professor of Medicine at AIIMS, advised isolating monkeypox patients in a separate room and wearing a triple-layered mask. The blisters and sores should be covered, and isolation should continue until the scabs fall off. Treatment is largely symptomatic, with antibiotics provided as needed to prevent secondary bacterial infections.
While acknowledging the need for vigilance, medical experts are reassuring the public that monkeypox is not as contagious or deadly as COVID-19.
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