I moved this from my regular blog because is is x rated. Sorry about that.
But I am aghast at the lousy way that monkey pox is being prevented by the Public health community who seems more worried about hurting people's feelings than saving people's lives.
I had noted that the public health outreach to stop the spread of monkey pox was a farce on two levels: One, because no one dared shut down the raves and bars/bathhouses where the disease is spread by anonymous sexual encounters, and Two, the failure to outreach to the minority community.
Originally, monkey pox was all over the news (Post WAGD we're all gonna die headline here). WSJ Video link says ITS A GLOBAL HEALTH THREAT.
no, it's not.
But then it was noticed it was gay white men. So headlines moved to the one or two pediatric cases to prove this terrible disease could kill everyone....
. Now, children's skin is thin, and a person with lesions who touches the skin or changes diapers (especially if there is diaper rash) could innocently spread it to the baby. But the headlines backfired, because a lot of cynical people assumed that the gays with monkey pox were having sex with kids, (but of course too polite to say so). That, as I noted, is probably untrue but someone pushing the propaganda that anyone could catch the disease did realize that the deplorables were horrified and saw this as proving child molestation...which as I noted was not necessarily true.
however, the disease disappeared in the headlines once the affluent white gay community was protected: But it continued to sprad in the black community, and there is a question why. Socioeconomic problem (e.g. crowded housing)? poor nutrition? More exposure (in jails or bars)? More sexual activity? Nutritional problems making one susecptible? Genetic suseptibility? Early cases not seen by physicians due to no insurance or distrust of the medical establishment? Fewer are circumcized? Tendency toward dry skin (micro abrasions allow infection from contact)? The fact that the lesions are in areas that are not usually viewed by the person? The taboos against gay sex in the black community means people will have the disease and not get treated or tell others they have it.
and the big one: ignorance.
By presenting the disease as a danger to everyone (and not one spread by a specific form of sexual activity) it means less awareness about the most dangerous way it is spread (anal sex... not masturbation or oral sex).
And when articles started admitting that it was a danger to the (affluent) white gay community, many blacks thought they were not vulnerable to catch it.
Now, usually when there is a problem with disease, the black community does not trust the white medical establishment. So often public health outreaches are done in black churches. But since gays are not welcome in the black community, and not welcome in their bible believing churches, you can see the problem of doing a monkey pox outreach there.
So the public health authorities are working with "community groups", i.e. groups that essentially are working to make gay promiscuous sex legal and accepted in society... yes, they promote the civil rights of the behavior that spreads this disease.
So how does one outreach to the gay black men?
Report how Georgia is actually doing that. CDC report:
As of September 28, 2022, Georgia had reported 1,784 monkeypox cases; 98% of which occurred in males and 77% among Black persons (2)....
Italics mine.
many of these people presumably would be known to public health authorities because they had been treated for STD's or were on (or should have been on) anti HIV retroviral therapy.
As of September 13, 2022, 60% of reported cases were among persons with HIV infection, and 50% of persons with monkeypox had a sexually transmitted infection within the past year...
So pull out the list and contact them to tell them to get the shot. (whoops: Privacy act won't let you do that)
Alternative: have moratorium on the dangerous gatherings, raves, bars, etc. where promiscuous and anonymous sex is allowed/encouraged.
Nope. Try that and you will get the civil rights folk on you, and even proposing it will get you canceled for homophobia.
However, as we saw in the Covid epidemic, screening people might work.
An alternative to shutdown would be similar to the practice of checking if you had covid vaccine ( that we had here to go into malls or large shops) by checking your vaccine card, and getting your temperature checked. For awhile, we even had to sign in to get into the mall and bank: so if someone was there who was later diagnosed with covid, we could be contacted.
So maybe to attend these gatherings, one should be similarly screened for having gotten the vaccine?
As for temperature: Fever doesn't always occur with monkey pox, but is present before the rash in some people. So maybe those attending should be required to have their temperature checked.
As for rash: usually the skin lesions are how it spreads, but alas one doubts that routine checking in the perineal area would be acceptable to any one, gay or straight. However, one of the first signs of monkey pox is redness in the throat, and of course, many have skin lesions on their hands. So maybe checking throats and hands would a way to screen high risk people.
the CDC states that asymptomatic people don't spread the disease so although such screening might not stop early cases or mild cases or cases in those who are naive or not truthful about having symptomes, it would stop most of the folks who might spread it to others. (note: the CDC is uncertain about the infectivity in the prodromal period or by those with minimal symptoms).
so back to the festival. Who attends? The article says the GA PH authorities are doing outreach to minority communities, but only half are minorities. But it is a start.
Before the festival (as of August 24), 17,546 persons had been vaccinated in Georgia, of whom 96% were male, 34% aged 25–36 years, 44% Black, and 8% Hispanic or Latino (Hispanic) ....
italics mine.
But the big question is why is the even allowed at all?
The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) requested CDC support for a vaccine pilot and received an additional allocation of 5,500 doses of JYNNEOS vaccine for administration at events leading up to and throughout a Black gay Pride festival in Atlanta, a multiday event held Labor Day weekend (September 2–5, 2022). The event ... hosts more than 125,000 attendees each year....
Italics mine.
Sigh.
CDC report on a case in Cook County jail. The case was only picked up after his family called the jail and told them he might have it.
this was in a dorm, where they shared bathrooms etc.
They all denied sexual activity, which might be true in the dormatory setting.
This report is about what communal settings could spread the disease.
Communicate with staff and residents—Provide clear information to staff and residents about monkeypox prevention, including the potential for spread through close, sustained physical contact, including sexual activity. Provide prevention guidance including considerations for safer sex. IHEs and shelters for youth can share additional information for young adults. Keep messages fact-based to avoid introducing stigma when communicating about monkeypox.
Southern Decadence is an annual multiday festival in New Orleans catering to persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and others (LGBTQIA+) that draws 150,000–300,000 participants annually.
To prepare for the 2022 festival (September 1–5), LDH requested CDC collaboration for preparedness planning, including statewide pre-event administration of JYNNEOS vaccine to prevent monkeypox.
sounds good until you read the small print: that this was done in other mass spreading venues, and during the festival, not before the festival And of course, again we see 6000 doses when the festival put 100 thousand at risk.
CDC helped acquire 1,500 vials (≤6,000 intradermal doses) of JYNNEOS vaccine ....As part of the state’s prevention strategy to increase vaccination among eligible Louisiana residents in advance of Southern Decadence, LDH hosted a series of community vaccination events, including large volume events in central locations and smaller, more focused events. The smaller events, organized in collaboration with community partners, were aimed at removing barriers (e.g., stigma and mistrust) and reducing disparities by reaching populations at highest risk, especially persons with limited access to medical care.
These community vaccination events were held across the state before and during the festival (August 9–September 5, 2022). Vaccination venues were purposefully selected at locations where MSM would feel comfortable seeking vaccination, such as gay-owned or gay-frequented venues.
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