BERLIN: A World Health Organization official stressed on Tuesday that mpox, whether it is the new or the old strain, is not the new COVID, as authorities know how to control its spread.
“Behaviour change, non-discriminatory public health action and mpox vaccination have contributed to controlling the epidemic,” said Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, at a UN media briefing.
Kluge said the risk to the general population was low.
“Will we go into lockdown in the WHO European region, is it another Covid-19? The answer is clear: ‘no’,” he said.
“So will we choose to put in place the systems to control and eradicate mpox worldwide? Or will we enter another cycle of panic and neglect? How we react now and in the coming years will prove to be a critical test for Europe and the world.
“We can and must tackle mpox together,” he added.
Mpox, a viral infection that causes pus-filled lesions and flu-like symptoms, is usually mild but can kill.
The clade 1b variety has caused global concern because it appears to spread more easily through everyday close contact.
A case of the variant was confirmed last week in Sweden and linked to a growing outbreak in Africa, the first sign of its spread outside the continent.
The WHO declared the recent outbreak of the disease a public health emergency of international concern after the new variant was identified.
Kluge said focusing on the new clade 1 strain will also help combat the less severe clade 2 variety spreading globally from 2022, allowing Europe to improve its response through better health advice and monitoring.
About 100 new cases of the clade 2 mpox strain are now reported in the European region each month, Kluge added.
Mpox is transmitted through close physical contact, including sexual contact, but unlike previous global pandemics such as COVID-19, there is no evidence that it is easily spread through the air.
Health authorities need to be alert and flexible in case there are new, more transmissible clades or others that change the route of transmission, but there are no recommendations for people to wear masks, said WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic.
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