Doctor to Newsmax: Mpox Contagious, But Not Another COVID

A foreign epidemic of mpox, previously known as monkey pox, does not pose the same threat as coronavirus did upon its outbreak, a doctor told Newsmax on Friday.

Special: Men Shocked: Doctor Says Fix for Testosterone Problems Starts With Treating Thyroid

Critical care physician and pulmonologist Dr. Roger Seheult, appearing on "National Report," warned that the new mpox is highly contagious and is spread not just from sexual contact.

He also said children are particularly vulnerable.

The World Health Organization (WHO) earlier this week declared mpox an international public health emergency after an upsurge of the disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a growing number of countries in Africa.

The Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday the risk to the general public in the U.S. from mpox circulating in the DRC is low, and there are no known cases in the U.S.

Doctor: The #1 Food Item That Causes Fatty Liver Disease

Seheult was asked if mpox could be another coronavirus, which resulted in a pandemic that paralyzed the world before a vaccine was developed.

"No, this is going to be a little bit different," Seheult said.

After saying the current mpox outbreak does not pose a threat similar to that from COVID-19, Seheult said the current spread of Type 1 mpox is worse than a spread of less aggressive Type 2 in 2022.

Special: The One Thing You Should Do for Your Prostate Every Morning

"This is different this time because we're seeing an outbreak with the Type 1, which is more infectious. It's easier to get," Seheult said. "And so while we are seeing this spread with sexual contact, it's also being spread with just casual contact.

"There was a study that was just done in one of the hospitals down there, where actually healthcare workers came down with mpox or monkeypox just by taking care of those patients that were hospitalized and it's not just men this time. It's actually 52% were women in that study. And I'm sad to say that many of the victims here, and there's about 17,000 people infected this year, many of them are children who are living close quarters in camp environments."

Seheult, a professor at the University California, Riverside, and Loma Linda University in California, was asked about mpox symptoms.

"Upon getting the virus, there's about a three- to 17-day incubation period where you don't feel anything," he said. "And then the symptoms first come on of fever, and that can last for about two or three or even four days.

"And then what you'll start to see is a skin rash that erupts. You'll start to see little pox or little bumps on your skin, and those will start to erupt. There may even be a little bit of a dimpling in the middle of that lesion, and then it will start to fill with pus and then it will erupt. And that's when it becomes very infectious."

About NEWSMAX TV:

NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!

Find Newsmax channel in your home via cable and satellite systems – More Info Here
Watch Newsmax+ on your home TV app or smartphone and watch it anywhere! Try it for FREE -- See More Here: NewsmaxPlus.com