Connecticut has now had 28 cases of monkeypox, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Gov. Ned Lamont will hold a news conference this morning in Hartford to discuss monkeypox. It will happen at 10 a.m. at InterCommunity Health Care on Coventry Street.
What Are The Symptoms of Monkeypox?
Symptoms of monkeypox can include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches and backache
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Chills
- Exhaustion
- A rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appear inside the mouth or on other parts of the body including the hands, feet, chest, etc.
The CDC says the current strain of monkeypox is rarely fatal.
How Is Monkeypox Transmitted?
- Direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids
- Respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling or sex
- Touching items (such as clothing or linens) that previously touched the infectious rash or body fluids
- Pregnant people can spread the virus to their fetus through the placenta
- It’s also possible for people to get monkeypox from infected animals, either by being scratched or bitten by the animal or by preparing or eating meat or using products from an infected animal.
- Monkeypox can spread from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed. The illness typically lasts two to four weeks. People who do not have monkeypox symptoms cannot spread the virus to others. At this time, it is not known if monkeypox can spread through semen or vaginal fluids.
Prevention of Monkeypox
The CDC recommends you take the following steps to prevent getting monkeypox:
- Avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with the monkeypox rash.
- Do not touch the rash or scabs of a person with monkeypox.
- Do not kiss, hug, cuddle or have sex with someone with monkeypox.
- Do not share eating utensils or cups.
- Do not handle or touch the bedding, towels, or clothing of a sick person.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially after contact with sick people.
- In Central and West Africa, avoid contact with animals that can spread the monkeypox virus, usually rodents and primates. Also, avoid sick or dead animals, as well as bedding or other materials they have touched.
What To Do If You Have Monkeypox Symptoms
- See a healthcare provider if you have a new or unexplained rash or other monkeypox symptoms.
- Remind the healthcare provider that monkeypox is circulating.
- Avoid close contact, including intimate physical contact, with others until a healthcare provider examines you.
- Avoid close contact with pets or other animals until a healthcare provider examines you.
- If you’re waiting for test results, follow the same precautions.
- If your test is positive, stay isolated until your rash has healed, all scabs have fallen off, and a fresh layer of intact skin has formed.
Testing for Monkeypox
The state public health lab has been doing testing for monkeypox, Monday through Friday.
Diagnostic testing is now available from commercial laboratories, including LabCorp, Mayo Clinic, and Quest, according to the state Department of Public Health, and providers can order testing from these laboratories as they would order other diagnostic tests.
