Monkeypox: Stay safe and informed during this next public health crisis

Kyra Watts, Nashville Tennessean
·3 min read
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Good morning, y'all!

It's me, Kyra Watts, back to take over for LeBron Hill while he's at the National Association of Black Journalists' conference in Las Vegas. I hope y'all are ready, because I got something I need to get off my chest.

It seems like we cannot catch a break — between COVID-19, inflation and now monkeypox. I don't know about you, but I definitely wouldn't mind going back on lockdown for a few months.

I enjoyed my summer, but outside is starting to resemble spring 2020 a little too much, and I am not a fan.

There's another new disease roaming around — that I've never heard of before — and health officials are recommending a vaccine for it, yet again. The White House recently declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre talks about the monkeypox outbreak during a briefing at the White House, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022, in Washington.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre talks about the monkeypox outbreak during a briefing at the White House, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022, in Washington.

Doesn't this sound a little too familiar?

Going through this again is scary, upsetting and frustrating, but what I find to be most infuriating is the controversy about whether or not monkeypox is primarily being driven by sex between men, or if this is just another attack on the LGBTQ+ community.

A public health advisory released by the World Health Organization said, "It is important to note that the risk of monkeypox is not limited to men who have sex with men. Anyone who has close contact with someone who is infectious is at risk."

However, this advice came after a previous statement by WHO seemed to give the opposite message.

I don't find this anti-LGBTQ+ scrutiny to be a coincidence, especially after Associate Justice Clarence Thomas called on the court to revisit other decisions: contraception, same-sex intimacy and same-sex marriage after the reversal of Roe v. Wade in June.

But I'll just sip my tea on that for now.

Stay safe and informed

Monkeypox can spread from close physical contact regardless of sexual orientation or race. The LGBTQ+ community are not "spreaders" of monkeypox. Human beings are spreading monkeypox.

The Centers for Disease Controls is tracking an outbreak of monkeypox that has spread across several countries that don’t normally report monkeypox, including the U.S. You can find more information here.

Symptoms include: 

  • Rash with blisters on face, hands, feet, eyes, mouth and/or genitals

  • Fever

  • Swollen lymph nodes

  • Headaches

  • Muscle aches

  • Low energy

If you are experiencing symptoms of monkeypox, talk to your healthcare provider— even if you don’t think you had contact with someone who has monkeypox.

Congratulations are due

On a more positive note, congratulations to all of the newly elected Black state officials and leaders of Tennessee in the Aug. 4 election, including:

  • Berthena McKinney-Nabaa, who won her election to Nashville County School Board, District 4

  • Justin Jones, who won his Democratic primary race for District 52 state House representative. He faces no opposition in the November election.

  • Charlane Oliver, who came first in a five-person field for the Democratic nomination for state Senate District 19. She faces Republican opponent Pime Hernandez in November, but it's a predominantly Democratic district.

More Black Tennessee Voices:

  • Commercial Appeal columnist Lynn Norment explains how strong, competent women in politics seem to bring out the worst in some men, resulting in public abuse and disrespect.

  • USA TODAY political reporter Mabinty Quarshie explains what Democrats need to do to in order to keep the support of Black voters in battleground states and keep control of Congress.

  • Dr. Kevin Stephens, chief medical officer of UHC, gives a few tips on what questions parents should be asking to ensure that their children have a successful health check-up.

  • Natisha Brooks, who ran unsuccessfully as a Republican candidate for Tennessee's Fifth Congressional District on Thursday, says political party affiliation doesn't matter when the entire country is facing a mental health crisis.

That's all from me this week. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Kyra Watts, Florida A&M University Alumna, is a writer and editor on the opinion and engagement team at The Tennessean in Nashville. She can be reached @Kyrawatts98 on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Monkeypox: How to stay safe and informed in this public health crisis