The first fatality associated with Monkeypox in the United States since it arrived in the nation months ago was reported by the Department of Public Health on Monday.
The health organization’s declaration was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States. They stated that the person’s impaired immune system contributed to the mortality after contracting Monkeypox. The person was hospitalized prior to passing away, according to the CDC.
According to the Department of Public Health, no other details on the situation will be made public for the time being.
A Monkeypox death is a rare occurence
Monkeypox-related fatalities are quite rare. Babies, expectant mothers, and individuals with weakened immune systems brought on by other diseases like HIV are frequently involved in the cases that have been identified. In Harris County, there was a case of Monkeypox last month that resulted in death. Health officials have not yet established whether Monkeypox was the primary cause of the death.
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According to CDC data, over 22,000 cases have already been reported in the United States this year. California had the most documented instances, at 4,300. Globally, governments have confirmed a total of 58,000 cases.
The overall number of deaths caused by Monkeypox is now 19; this represents just 0.00032% of all positive cases. This just goes to show that Monkeypox deaths are extremely unlikely.
Monkeypox cases are slowing down
According to the CDC, there are now fewer cases of Monkeypox than initially assumed. However, maximum vigilance is still advised since health organizations worry that complacency would only harm the nation.
“We’re continuing to see a downward trend in Europe. While reported cases from the Americas also declined last week, it’s harder to draw firm conclusions about the epidemic in that region. Some countries in the Americas continue to report an increasing number of cases. In some, there is likely to be underreported due to stigma and discrimination or a lack of information for those who need it most,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, the Director-General of the World Health Organization.
“A downward trend can be the most dangerous time if it opens the door to complacency.”
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The country still needs to be cautious
If nations do not take safeguards against Monkeypox, authorities are still concerned that there might be an increase in instances. Therefore, medical professionals strongly recommend that the US keep up its widespread vaccination program, paying special attention to high-risk populations, including expectant mothers, young children, and those with compromised immune systems.
“We’re not seeing the potentially exponential growth that we were seeing early on, so that is reassuring. Too early to say things look really good, but definitely some signs of slowing of cases,” said Dr. Allison Arwady, the public health commissioner of Chicago.
In order to provide Jynneos vaccinations to high-risk populations, the Health and Human Services said a few weeks ago that it had acquired sufficient supplies. The US will have more monkeypox vaccinations available as a result of agreements with Bavarian Nordic, the only firm authorized to ship vaccines to the US.
Here’s the statement from the Los Angeles Department of Public Health:
The Los Angeles Department of Public Health, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has confirmed the first death due to Monkeypox in a Los Angeles County resident. Public Health sends heartfelt condolences and wishes of healing to the family and friends mourning the loss of their loved one.
The resident was severely immunocompromised and had been hospitalized.
To protect confidentiality and privacy, additional information on this case will not be made public.
Persons severely immunocompromised who suspect they have Monkeypox are encouraged to seek medical care and treatment early and remain under the care of a provider during their illness.
For more information, please visit the Country of Los Angeles Public Health website.
Source: CNN
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