Monkeypox in Colorado: Young adult men in Denver area most at risk as cases continue to rise

case of monkeypoxIt is a rare but serious disease.

Denver Health Chief Medical Officer Connie Price, Ph.D. “I think we have a much bigger opportunity than we had with COVID to actually get it under control.”

Price said monkeypox is not as contagious as COVID-19 and unlikely to evolve that way.

More information about monkeypox outbreaks is available online. Based on data, it clearly shows which groups are currently most at risk. A young adult male in or near Denver.

The Department of Health’s monkeypox dashboard now includes county-level and demographic data.

The state said it was expanding data on it monkeypox dashboard They were deployed earlier this month. This will now include county-level case counts and demographic data.

The health department created a dashboard with input from community leaders, LGBTQ advocacy groups, and local public health agencies to ensure data transparency while protecting patient privacy.

State epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy said on the website: She said “data suppression” is included to protect privacy, especially in less populated counties.

An updated dashboard clearly shows how monkeypox is currently ravaging Colorado. The top bar shows 6 people hospitalized, no deaths in the state, and 19 counties with confirmed cases. The first case he was found in Colorado in May. Since then, there have been 6 cases in June, 66 cases in July, 94 cases in August, and a total of 168 cases to date.

Denver has recorded 59 cases, followed by Adams, Arapahoe, Jefferson, and El Paso counties with double-digit numbers. 85% of cases are male. Most of the cases are young adults, and three of her four are adults between the ages of 18 and 44. Nearly 77% of cases are people who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual.

After more than two years of wrestling with COVID-19 and other diseases, including a recurrence of polio in the United States, another health official tried to reassure people in Coloradan.

“Public Health is constantly monitoring the situation, standing ready to expand our response, and ready to communicate to the public, regardless of the threat,” said Scott, who heads the Disease Control and Public Health Response Division. Bookman said. “We are prepared to respond in any way necessary and are committed to transparent and open communication with the public so they understand the risks and what actions to take. can do.”

The biggest risks are bisexuals, or other men who have sex with men.

Based on the data that the state health department is collecting both here in Colorado and across the country, “We found that the biggest risks right now are gays, bisexuals, or other men who have sex with men. “It’s primarily the Denver metropolitan area here in Colorado, but we’ve also seen cases outside the metropolitan area.”

But as states look to ramp up their response to another epidemic, many questions are being raised about vaccines, testing, and risks in schools and colleges.

Regarding schools, Herlihy said: But he looks forward to guidance from the CDC. ”

She said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has informed Colorado public health officials that it plans to release school and parenting guidance soon. “We are encouraging routine practices that we currently use to prevent communicable diseases in our schools, practices that really should continue because of monkeypox,” he said.

Monkeypox Instruction to Schools and Institutions of Higher Education

Herlihy noted that the state recently updated its guidance for schools on COVID-19 and said it has guidance on common infection control strategies in schools.

She said public health officials believe in short interactions without physical contact, so passing someone at the grocery store isn’t considered a risk of monkeypox infection.

“Again, the primary route of transmission continues to be close physical contact, including contact during sex.

Herlihy said government agencies are in talks with higher education institutions and said they have learned a lot from the COVID-19 experience.

“Some of the strategies they’ve used, such as having a place to isolate students if they test positive, could become key strategies again,” she said.

Availability and supply of monkeypox vaccine in Colorado

A monkeypox vaccine is available but in short supply based on federal quotas, Bookman said.

“Now we expect to see many more vaccines in the coming weeks and months,” now in the Denver metropolitan area.

He said the state is expanding its distribution network. It currently contains 59 providers and has been distributed in 3,500 doses. He said the state has administered more than 4,000 doses and vaccine data will also be posted on the state’s website.

Denver Health has administered nearly 500 doses to people who meet the criteria for close contact, Price said. Price added that non-research treatments are available for patients diagnosed with serious illness.

Monkeypox testing is expanding, Herlihy said, and commercial laboratories across the country are also testing online.

“Commercial laboratory tests are available and really recommended for patients with insurance. Insurance can be handled through your primary care provider or other healthcare providers,” she said. We now know that most large-scale systems in the state can collect samples and perform this test.”

She said the specimens can be collected with materials that many providers have on hand without requiring prior approval from the state health department.