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| A monitor installed at a terminal of Incheon International Airport warns passengers about the monkeypox virus, Thursday. Yonhap |
Explosive spread of monkeypox unlikely: experts
By Lee Hyo-jin
After Korea identified its first case of the monkeypox virus, health experts say that it is unlikely to cause an explosive spread as the country experienced with the coronavirus, considering the differences between the two viruses.
But at the same time, they called on the government to implement preemptive measures such as the swift introduction of third-generation vaccines and the enhancement of detection capacity.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) confirmed the first case of monkeypox, Wednesday, involving a 30-something individual who entered Korea from Germany on the previous day. Without providing further details of the individual, the authorities said the patient is receiving treatment at an isolation ward at Incheon Medical Center.
The agency raised the alert level for the infectious disease to "caution," the second level in the government's four-tier system.
"There are still many uncertainties about the virus, but based on what we know so far, there's little reason to panic about the new outbreak," Song Chang-seon, head of the Korean Society for Zoonoses, told The Korea Times.
"Unlike the coronavirus which is easily transmitted through respiratory droplets, monkeypox spreads through direct skin-to-skin contact with an infected person. So I don't expect the number of infections to go up rapidly as it did with COVID-19," he said.
He also said that although there are no vaccines and treatments specifically for monkeypox, antiviral drugs and vaccines developed against smallpox, a genetically similar disease, can be used to prevent the spread of monkeypox.
According to the KDCA, Korea has 35 million doses of smallpox vaccine developed by local manufacturer HK inno.N, which are classified as second-generation vaccines. The authorities are planning to introduce Jynneos, a third-generation vaccine developed by Danish company Bavarian Nordic.
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| A medical worker enters a negative pressure isolation ward at Incheon Medical Center, Wednesday. Yonhap |
However, Song expressed concerns that the characteristics of monkeypox are likely to lead to a silent spread of infections.
"While coronavirus symptoms such as high fever and coughing were easily visible, this may not be the case for monkeypox. For instance, rashes, which is its distinctive symptom, may not start on the face, but on other parts of the body like the genitals or anus," he said.
He called on the government to enhance its detection capacity while stressing that people experiencing monkeypox symptoms should be encouraged to report to the authorities immediately.
Jung Jae-hun, an assistant professor of preventive medicine at Gachon Medical University, also said that the monkeypox virus will cause fewer fatalities and socio-economic damage than COVID-19.
"It is a DNA virus, and has a longer incubation period than the coronavirus, and spreads mainly through direct contact," he wrote on Facebook. "This means that there would be fewer mutations and more time to carry out epidemiological investigations, which would help slow down the spread."
However, he said the government should swiftly introduce third-generation vaccines, as the second-generation ones currently in stock present some difficulties including concerns over possible side effects.
Jung went on to say that the government should better respond to the new infectious disease based on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"During the early stages of the pandemic, the government seriously violated individual freedom and rights in the name of public safety. It is worrisome that social stigma and blame against people infected with monkeypox would cause disruptions in the early detection of the virus, which would eventually pose bigger threats to society," he wrote.
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