By: Hunter Dierlam

        

I’m sure you all remember the virus that has to this day, killed nearly six and a half million people worldwide, shut down schools, limited employment opportunities, and goes by the name, Coronavirus. What if I told you there was another disease right around the corner, and that as you read this, you could be susceptible to it?

Monkeypox is said to have been first identified in 1970 in Africa, however, the first outbreak that occurred in the United States did not occur until 2003, which was discovered in a dog. Fast forward nineteen years and now the first fatal case reported in the United States stemming in relation to monkeypox occurred on August thirtieth of this year. With the virus slowly capturing the attention of Americans, students here on campus still seemed to be out of the loop on what exactly monkeypox is.

“I am not really sure what monkeypox is but I have heard people talk about it and seen it on social media the past couple of months,” said freshman Erlind Bejte.

Luckily for Bejte, West Virginia has only seen eight cases and no fatalities thus far, making it one of the least vulnerable states to date.

“Monkeypox, from what I’ve heard, is a disease that can spread very rapidly through contact with someone infected with the virus,” said Alesio Kacaj, another freshman from Canada.

While many West Virginians are unsure about the risk monkeypox poses, it does not hurt to take precautions toward steering clear of the disease. If anyone you know has had or is currently dealing with red rashes and/or flu-like symptoms, avoid anything that person has been in contact with and make sure they isolate themselves until these symptoms go away. Simply keeping up with normal and sanitary hygiene should increase your chances of avoiding it. 

In the case that you choose to get vaccinated against the disease, the JYNNEOS vaccine is your best bet. The vaccine has been approved for prevention against both monkeypox as well as smallpox. Just like the numerous amounts of COVID vaccines, there is no guarantee you avoid the disease, but it is recommended by the CDC. 

With questions still lingering and the uncertainty that surrounds monkeypox, there’s no clear future for what’s in store regarding the disease. However, it is safe to say that as of now, most West Virginia residents are in good shape when it comes to staying away from yet another deadly disease.