- So far, more than 25,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported worldwide.
- It is not a new disease because the first human case occurred in 1970, but for decades it was endemic to Africa.
- To raise awareness among patients and support other doctors, a Mexican doctor created a Twitter thread with photos showing the skin lesions caused by monkeypox.
Social networks emerged as a new form of communication that eliminates geographical barriers. Now it is possible to stay informed of what is happening anywhere in the world instantly. In addition, they have also become forums to report on problems that affect millions of people. Such is the case of a doctor who has made it big on Twitter thanks to his posts about monkeypox.
In this sense, digitization has caused more and more people to use this channel to interact. At present alone, it is estimated that 63 percent of the worldโs population uses the Internet. In addition, the trend continues to rise.
For its part, Twitter has established itself as one of the most popular social networks in the world. According to Statista, it has 436 million active users worldwide.
An outstanding case is that of the Mexican doctor Xavier Flores. Through his Twitter account, he made a thread with photographs showing the injuries caused by monkeypox in patients.
What do MONKEYPOX lesions look like? ๐
A little thread. ๐งต
โ Javier Flores ๐ (@farmacotips) August 3, 2022
The highlight of his proposal is that it focuses on the effects on different parts of the body. From the face and head to the oral cavity and genital areas. With this, he not only seeks to raise awareness among the population but also to help other colleagues to accurately identify this disease that is on the rise.
Monkeypox is not a new disease
An important clarification is that monkeypox is not a new disease. It is actually a zoonotic viral infection, meaning that it spreads from animals to humans and also from person to person. The origin of its name responds to the fact that it was discovered for the first time in 1958, in a colony of monkeys raised for research. The disease was detected in humans until 1970.
For decades it remained an endemic problem in Africa that was not given much importance. Although this 2022 generated what is so far the most extensive outbreak outside that continent.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) there are already more than 25 thousand cases globally and the number increases every day. While deaths have already occurred in India, Spain and Brazil.
Regarding the classic symptomatology, the main warning signs are:
- sudden fever
- Headache
- Exhaustion
- Muscle pains
- deep weakness
- Skin rash (face, hands, and later the rest of the body)
- Swelling of the lymph nodes
On the other hand, it should be remembered that on July 23 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the monkeypox outbreak an international public health emergency.
While on August 4 the United States government made the same decision. In part it was because until now it remains the second country in the world with the most infections of monkeypox.