Employee at UPMC Children’s diagnosed with monkey pox
TORI: KRISTEN, THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION SAYS A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY IS ESSENTIALLY A NATIONAL HEALTH CONCERN OR RISK. TONIGHT WE TALK TO A DOCTOR WITH AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE WHO WEIGHES. A NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY, SOMETHING THAT CAN CAUSE DEJA VU FOR MANY. >> I THINK WITH COVID, I ALREADY HAVE A LITTLE BIT PANDEMIC TRAUMA. SO I THINK I MAKE ME A LITTLE NERVOUS. Just hearing about it, I’m like, OH, GOSH, there’s something else going on. TORI: THURSDAY, THE ADMINISTRATION DECLARED BIDEN MONKEYPOX AS A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY, WHICH INFECTION DISEASE DOCTOR DR. AMESH ADALJA SAYS GOVERNMENT CAN MOVE FASTER IF IT COMES UP FOR RESOURCES TO FIGHT THE SPREAD. >>THAT’S THE MAIN VALUE OF IT. THAT THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE WITH THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT. IT HAS TO WORK VERY FAST. IT MUST BE OPERATIONAL. SO THE DECLARATION OF EMERGENCY HOPES HOPES UP MANY OF THOSE OBSTACLES AND ALLOWS GOVERNMENT TO ACT FASTER. TORI: NOW ALLEGHENY COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT REPORTS 30 CONFIRMED CASES. Dr. ADALJA SAYS THE VIRUS IS PART OF THE SMALLPOX VIRAL FAMILY. IT ORIGINATED FROM AFRICA AND IS RARELY FATAL. >> WE HAVE SEEN THE SPREAD OF THIS VIRUS OUTSIDE THOSE ENDEMIC COUNTRIES IN AFRICA, INTO INDIVIDUALS WHO DO NOT HAVE CONTACT WITH AFRICA. SO THAT IS UNIQUE TO THE OUTBREAK. TORI: HE SAYS NOW MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS SEE SIGNIFICANT ITEMS TAKEN INTO THE LHBTQ COMMUNITY, SPECIFICALLY AMONG MEN. BUT THE VIRUS CAN INFECT ANYONE. EXPERTS SAY NOW MOST CASES COME FROM SKIN TO SKIN CONTACT, ESPECIALLY IN INTIMATE SITUATIONS. >> AT ONE POINT, A TRAVELER HAPPENED WHO WAS INFECTED TO BRING IT INTO A SEXUAL SOCIAL NETWORK WHERE THE VIRUS CAN SPREAD. TORI: AND ALTHOUGH THE VIRUS IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM COVID-19, MANY STILL CANNOT HELP BUT COMPARE THE TWO. >> WHAT I HAVE HEARD I FEEL LESS RISK THAN COVID. BUT YOU NEVER KNOW. >> I JUST HOPE WE ARE PROACTIVE PROACTIVE. TORI: AND WE ARE OUTSIDE THE METRO COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER IN SWISSVALE. THIS IS ONE OF THE LOCATIONS WHERE VACCINES ARE PLACED. THE COUNTY SAYS THAT NOT EVERYONE NEEDS THE VACCINE AND NOT EVERYONE qualifies. WE ARE ELIGIBLE AND A LIST OF VACCINE SITES ON OUR WEB
Employee at UPMC Children’s diagnosed with monkey pox
Updated: 4:03 PM EDT Aug 12, 2022
UPMC said Friday that an employee of a UPMC Children’s outpatient clinic has been diagnosed with monkey pox. The hospital system says they believe there is a “very low” risk of exposure. Video above: What you need to know about monkeypox “Patients and staff who may have come into contact with this employee are being notified, the statement continues. “The health and safety of our staff, patients and visitors are our top priorities” Monkeypox is being contracted when a person comes into prolonged contact with the sores, scabs, respiratory droplets, or oral fluids of an infected person.Most infections have occurred in close, intimate situations, such as hugging, kissing, and sexual contact.Symptoms of monkey pox can include fever, chills , headaches, muscle aches, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes Monkeypox was declared a public health emergency by the Biden administration.
UPMC said Friday that an employee of a UPMC Children’s outpatient clinic has been diagnosed with monkey pox. The hospital system says they believe there is a “very low” risk of exposure.
Video above: what you need to know about monkey pox
“Patients and staff who may have been in contact with this employee will be notified, the statement continued. “The health and safety of our staff, patients and visitors are our top priorities.”
Monkeypox is contracted when a person comes into prolonged contact with an infected person’s sores, scabs, respiratory drops, or oral fluids. Most infections are caused by close, intimate situations, such as hugging, kissing, and sexual contact.
Symptoms of monkey pox can include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes.
Monkeypox was declared a public health emergency by the Biden administration.
