According to statistics provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), a first picture of patients who have been affected by the current epidemic of monkeypox is emerging.
A man younger than 40 years old, living in Europe and having sex with other men, is the most common profile. He has rashes all over his body, fever, and is a typical profile. This profile is not complete and is representative of the majority.
Europe is still the most affected region by the current wave, accounting for 81.6%, or 6,027, cases worldwide. These cases were detected in May, outside of Central Africa and West Africa, where the virus has been endemic. With more than 1000 cases each, Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom are the most severely affected countries. According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, France had 498 confirmed cases as of July 6.
According to WHO statistics, 99.5% of patients who provided sex were men. The median age for these patients was 37. According to WHO statistics, 60% of those who provided information about their sexual orientation were men. This is about a third percent of all patients affected.
Monkeypox is a distant cousin to smallpox but far less dangerous. It usually heals itself within two to three days. On Wednesday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director, announced that a WHO Emergency Committee meeting will be held on the subject no later than the week beginning July 18.
The Committee did not elevate the current outbreak from a "public emergency of international concern" at its June 23rd meeting. This is the highest alert level in the organization.
