After the World Health Organization (OMS) declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency, the world has been concerned about the spread of the disease, especially the possibility of it becoming a pandemic like COVID-19 in early 2020.
To understand the potential impact of mpox on a global level, it is important to understand its characteristics and compare them with those of the coronavirus.
Characteristics of COVID-19
During the pandemic years, Covid proved to be a highly contagious disease, as it was acquired through the air, via respiratory droplets. As is well known, the consequences of this disease have been devastating worldwide.
To a large extent, The situation was aggravated because it was an unknown disease and there was no vaccine for it.In short, the virus showed a high tendency to mutate, which gave rise to new variants.
Read also: WHO urges not to respond with panic to MPOX outbreak
These aspects influenced its spread to be rapid and difficult to control.
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, chills, and sore throat; although muscle pain, fatigue, headache, sneezing, loss of smell and appetite, among others, may also occur. Some people may have the disease without showing any symptoms.
The population most at risk of contracting COVID-19 are people who already have diseases such as diabetes.
You may be interested in: Recommendations from the Ministry of Health to prevent mpox
Features of mpox
Symptoms of mpox can include headache and fever. The most characteristic aspect of the virus is the appearance of skin rashes that turn from spots to blisters.
It is transmitted through physical contact with an infected person or a contaminated object. This makes it less spread than the coronavirus.
In general, MPOX is less severe than Covid, however, people who already have some illnesses are also more likely to experience complications. In Africa, it has been recorded that the child population is the one that has suffered the most deaths.
On the same topic: Three cases of mpox confirmed in Jalisco
Which disease is worse?
The coronavirus has had a greater impact worldwide and, in the case of mpox, although there have been a large number of deaths on the African continent, the characteristics of the health system in this region, which are generally more deficient, must also be considered.
On the other hand, the word “pandemic” is not a technical term, it is used only to indicate the rapid international spread of a disease.
MPOX does not yet pose a risk of becoming a pandemic. It should be remembered that the level of contagion of mpox is lower than that of covid. In short, unlike the coronavirus, this It is a disease that has been known for years and there is already a vaccine to prevent it.
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