School is in session. Should you worry about your kid catching monkeypox?


Meanwhile, the students are coming back to school. Parents, caregivers, teachers and students have lots of questions. Can monkeypox be spread by sitting next to someone with the virus in class or playing together in a playground? Can it be spread by sharing food or drink? Are there certain activities for K-12 students that are high-risk? What about college students? And what about the risk of other infectious diseases?

Dr. Lena Wayne: Monkeypox is primarily spread through prolonged, direct, skin-to-skin contact with someone who is actively shedding the virus. It is associated with intimate sexual activity, but can be spread by other close contact such as kissing and hugging. The most commonly affected groups are gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. A recently published study by the CDC found that 99% of cases occurred in men, of whom 94% reported recent male-to-male sexual or close intimate contact.
This is in stark contrast to another disease we have been talking about a lot in the last two years, Covid-19. COVID-19 is caused by an airborne virus that is highly contagious. You can get COVID-19 from talking to someone or just sharing the same air with someone who lives in the same room. Monkeypox can be spread through certain items – for example, bedding, towels and utensils used by an infected person – but this is a much less common route of transmission than direct contact.

CNN: Let’s talk about some examples of common scenarios in a school setting. Can monkeypox be spread by sitting next to someone in class or riding a bus?

So far, there has been no transmission of monkeypox to children in the US, according to CNN medical analyst Dr. Lena Wayne.

Wayne: This is extremely unlikely. Monkeypox is not spread just by sitting next to a person. Again, this is not COVID-19 – this virus is almost non-contagious.

CNN: What about kids playing together in the playground? Would touching the same objects put them at risk of transmitting monkeypox?

Wayne: In theory, it is possible that a child who has an exposed rash may touch another child while playing together. Young children also put things in their mouths that other children can touch and thus can cause infection.

I don’t worry about my 2 and 5 year olds getting monkeypox because, so far, it hasn’t spread to children in the United States. There are a few isolated reports of children with monkeypox, but no reports of children passing the infection to each other. The incidence of monkeypox in children is currently so low that I am not worried about spreading when my children are in their preschool and kindergarten.

If it starts spreading in children, then this may change, but we have not seen this till now.

Wen said the incidence of monkeypox in children is low, so students doing contact sports should not be too worried. Wen said the incidence of monkeypox in children is low, so students doing contact sports should not be too worried.

CNN: Can sharing drinks or food spread monkeypox?

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Wayne: Yes. Again, this is a lower risk than other close activities such as sexual activity discussed earlier, but sharing drinks or food is a possible mode of transmission. People infected with monkeypox should not share utensils or food items with others.

CNN: You said earlier that it can be spread with bedsheets and towels. Should parents and caregivers worry about trying on their children’s clothes and avoiding traveling to hotels?

Wayne: I do not think so. If someone is infected with monkeypox, they can put the virus on their clothing and other things their rash touches – for example, sheets, towels and other linens. If someone in your family has monkeypox, no one should share their clothes or bedding.

But this is very different from trying on clothes at the mall or going so far as to avoid staying in hotels. Of course, there is a theoretical possibility that a person who had just tried on the same clothes got monkeypox and left the virus on the clothes, but this is very unlikely. The same goes for hotels, where sheets and towels must be changed between guests anyway.

CNN: Are there certain activities for K-12 students that are at high risk?

Wayne: Activities that involve prolonged skin-to-skin contact will have a higher risk. For example, children involved in wrestling or tackle football will be at greater risk than those involved in cross-country running or swimming.

This does not mean that children should not participate in contact sports. Again, the incidence of monkeypox in children is currently so low that it should not be a major concern.

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Some students in the school are sexually active. My concern would be to students, especially those who have multiple partners or are involved in sexual encounters with people they do not know well, because it is through this kind of intimate activity that mainly Monkeypox spreads.

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CNN: This brings me to college students. What are the high-risk activities for them and what precautions should they take?

Wayne: Let’s look at activities according to the level of risk. The highest risk would be having sex with multiple partners. Intimate activity such as kissing and hugging with multiple people will also be at high risk.

Monkeypox transmission can also occur by sharing drinks, food, and items such as cigarettes and vapes, although this risk is low. Monkeypox transmission has also been documented in individuals who dance for long periods of time with many other people, especially if most individuals are not wearing clothing on certain parts of their body – resulting in greater skin-to-skin contact.

The risk of having a platonic roommate with someone is low, as is participating in most sports. Other day-to-day activities, such as going to class, dining with peers, and socializing with friends, are much less at risk. Teaching staff, professors and other school and university staff are at extremely low risk if they are not in direct skin-to-skin contact with students or each other.

CNN: What precautions would you advise college students to take?

Wayne: Know the activities that carry the most risk and try to reduce your risk. Since sexual activity is the highest risk, consider reducing the number of sexual partners until you have been vaccinated. Before engaging in intimate activity, ask if the other person has had new or unexpected rashes – and, if possible, consider exchanging contact information with any new sexual partners, if you or the latter develop symptoms. Try not to share drinks, food or cigarettes with many unknown people. If you’re going to a nightclub or bar where you expect to be very close with a lot of people, consider wearing long sleeves and pants to cover areas that will be touching others up close.

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I urge everyone to watch to know the signs and symptoms. In most cases, monkeypox presents as fever, lymph node swelling and a rash that results in blisters. However, fever and lymph node swelling may not always be present. You may have only one or two small rashes anywhere on your body. Monkeypox can also present as sores in your mouth, on your genitals, or in your anus. Get tested if you have any of these symptoms.

This reminds me – students should know where to go for the test. Many colleges will offer on-site testing. Others will advise you to visit a nearby commercial laboratory. All isolation procedures should be established in colleges. It will help to know what they are beforehand so that you are not alerted in case your test is positive.

Lastly, students who are eligible for vaccination should do so. The CDC has suggestions for eligibility. Inquire with your local health department and sexual health clinics in your area. The availability of vaccines and how to access them will vary depending on the part of the country. My strong advice to people who meet the CDC’s eligibility recommendations is to get vaccinated if you can – this will reduce your chances of becoming infected and passing monkeypox to others.

CNN: The big picture – how should parents, caregivers, teachers and students consider the risk of monkeypox along with the risk of other infectious diseases?

Wayne: It varies according to the age group. For a person who has not yet engaged in any sexual activity, the risk is very low, given the population so far affected by monkeypox. The communal living environment in the college, coupled with high-risk activities, makes monkeypox a more significant concern for students in that age group.



(This story has not been edited by seemayo staff and is published from a rss feed)

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