Monkeypox is different than COVID. Here’s why.

Have you ever wondered why the 2022 monkeypox outbreak is so different from COVID? Read on to find out why.

Source: blog.monkeypoxtracker.net/. Monkeypox vs. COVID-19 — what makes the 2022 monkeypox outbreak so different?

Before 2022, monkeypox was only endemic to a few South African countries. But now, global monkeypox cases have exceeded 60,000 across more than 100 countries, as of mid-September 2022.

As a result of the unprecedented case growth, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) in July 2022, the same status as declared for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Ebola, and other concerning infectious diseases.

Figure 1. Global monkeypox virus spread over time. Total cases reached >58,000 as of mid-September 2022. Data source: MonkeypoxTracker.net.

Although both COVID-19 and monkeypox are infectious diseases of PHEIC, they are vastly different in terms of their virology, transmission, disease manifestation, and treatment. As we are all familiar with COVID-19, using it as a reference will help us understand monkeypox and make better-informed decisions in our lives.

Note: Much of the monkeypox data in this article comes from MonkeypoxTracker.net, a user-friendly site that integrates monkeypox data from authoritative sources…