SW Connecticut News

(Norwalk, Conn.) Today, August  2, 2022, Norwalk's Health Department shared critical preventive health  care information and local resources to help mitigate the spread of  monkeypox.

Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with  the monkeypox virus. Beginning in May 2022, cases of monkeypox were  reported in the United States and more than 50 other countries that  don't typically report monkeypox. According to the Connecticut  Department of Public Health (CT DPH), as of August 1, 2022, there have  been 35 cases of monkeypox virus in Connecticut. Monkeypox virus is part  of the same family of viruses as smallpox and symptoms are similar to  smallpox symptoms but less severe. The virus is seldomly fatal, but the  infection can be painful and long-lasting.

How to Recognize Symptoms

Monkeypox symptoms can include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Muscle aches and backache
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Chills
• Exhaustion
• A  rash that can look like pimples or blisters on the face, inside the  mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest,  genitals, or anus. 

The illness typically lasts anywhere from two to four weeks.

If  you have symptoms and are concerned that you have monkeypox, contact  your healthcare provider. They will be able to test you and give you  treatment and guidance if you do have the virus.

How Monkeypox Spreads

People  can only spread monkeypox when they have symptoms, and they are  considered infectious until their rash has healed and new skin has  formed over it.

Monkeypox can spread from person to person through:

• Direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids;
• Respiratory  secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact or intimate physical  contact, such as kissing, cuddling, or sex; and
• Touching items (such as clothing or linens) that previously touched an infected person's infectious rash or body fluids.

Monkeypox Vaccine

To  help curb the spread of monkeypox, CT DPH has partnered with 15 health  care providers to distribute vaccinations throughout the state,  including Circle Care Center, a Norwalk medical provider that provides high-quality LGBTQ-affirming  medical and sexual health services. Circle Care Center and other  providers throughout the state can provide the vaccine to eligible  individuals, currently defined as CT residents over the age of 18 who  also are:

• People who have had confirmed exposure to someone diagnosed with the monkeypox virus or
• Gay,  bisexual, or other men who have sex with men, and/or transgender,  gender non-conforming, or gender non-binary and have had multiple or  anonymous sex partners in the last 14 days.

The Centers for  Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that the vaccine be  given within four days from the date of exposure for the best chance of  preventing the onset of the disease. 

Vaccine supply is limited, and appointments are required at all vaccine sites. To request an appointment at Circle Care Center, visit  https://reviews.solutionreach.com/vs/world_health_clinicians/appt or call (203) 852-9525. 

For more information and a list of all the health care providers across CT administering doses of the monkeypox vaccine, visit https://www.circlecarecenter.org/monkeypox-explained. 

For more information about monkeypox, please visit the CDC monkeypox webpage at  https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/index.htm and the DPH monkeypox webpage at https://portal.ct.gov/dph/epidemiology-and-emerging-infections/ct-monkeypox. 

Original source can be found here.