Monkeypox declared Health Emergency

[baralheia]

Seems like NYC and other health departments are at least to some extent looking at it as a gay disease or STD.

From KFOR:
"The New York City Health Department, for example, is limiting monkeypox vaccine access to those who are gay, bisexual, and men who are sexually active with men, as well as transgender, gender non-conforming, or gender non-binary persons who are 18 years old or older and had multiple or anonymous sex partners in the last two weeks. Those who may have been exposed to monkeypox or are notified by the Health Department due to close contact with someone with the disease are also eligible to get the vaccine."
The article went on to say Austin and Chicago had almost exactly the same requirements and SanFrancisco does also but includes sex industry workers of any orientation or identification status.

"Affecting the gay community" and "gay disease" mean two *very* different things. The latter implies things the former does not.

[Bill Robertson]

"Affecting the gay community" and "gay disease" mean two *very* different things. The latter implies things the former does not.

Having an EE background to me this is just like saying something is "causing a voltage drop" vs being "a voltage drop issue". They mean the same thing essentially. BTW, I hated English or any other such class that had to do with language just for this reason.

[baralheia]

Having an EE background to me this is just like saying something is "causing a voltage drop" vs being "a voltage drop issue". They mean the same thing essentially. BTW, I hated English or any other such class that had to do with language just for this reason.

In this case, they don't. So calling it a "gay disease" carries a heavy implication that the disease originated within and only affects the gay community - neither of which are correct. The proliferation of this term also helps to further enable prejudice and discrimination based solely upon one's sexual orientation especially in today's political climate - carrying the implicit connotation that we are disease carriers. The fact remains that this disease doesn't care about your sexual orientation, and can and does affect anyone who comes into contact with the respiratory secretions, skin lesions, and bodily fluids - or items (including clothing) that are contaminated with such (see the CDC's guidance here: https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeyp...nsmission.html). The people who are most at risk from this disease include children, people with compromised with immune systems, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and those with a history of eczema, per the CDC. This is confirmed by literally decades of research into this disease before and after it left the African continent.

This is the exact same reason why the international community has pushed hard to move away from names for other diseases that specify a nationality or other demographic; the most recent example is the various unofficial names that have been used for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).

[Bill Robertson]

In this case, they don't. So calling it a "gay disease" carries a heavy implication that the disease originated within and only affects the gay community - neither of which are correct. The proliferation of this term also helps to further enable prejudice and discrimination based solely upon one's sexual orientation especially in today's political climate - carrying the implicit connotation that we are disease carriers. The fact remains that this disease doesn't care about your sexual orientation, and can and does affect anyone who comes into contact with the respiratory secretions, skin lesions, and bodily fluids - or items (including clothing) that are contaminated with such (see the CDC's guidance here: https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeyp...nsmission.html). The people who are most at risk from this disease include children, people with compromised with immune systems, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and those with a history of eczema, per the CDC. This is confirmed by literally decades of research into this disease before and after it left the African continent.

This is the exact same reason why the international community has pushed hard to move away from names for other diseases that specify a nationality or other demographic; the most recent example is the various unofficial names that have been used for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).

I understand your points. Mine is that, maybe I'm a rarity, I don't read inferences into differently worded phases that, if taken literally say the same thing. Seeing different meanings is derived from personal experience, social views or some other belief system. I'm not knocking you. I just see language as I do numbers. Cut and dried. If someone writes A and someone rewords A then interpreting A as different than A is on the reader.
And the odd thing about this whole discussion is I'm essentially defending kukblue2 who I very seldom agree with.

[Plutonic Panda]

^^^^ it affects the gay community who are more likely to read into those things. It can and ultimately will be used to spread homophobia on some level just like HIV/AIDS did. It’s just better to say it affects the gay community than it being a gay disease.

[Scott5114]

Additionally, I've seen (admittedly anecdotal) reports that some health departments will not test women or men that have not had sex with other men. So of course the test results are showing it's primarily men who have had sex with men that are getting it.

[Edmond Hausfrau]

Luckily, there is already adequate stockpile of vaccine, although getting it into the right hands remains challenging, similar to the distribution problems with Covid vaccine and treatment to rural population. There is also antiviral treatment available for monkeypox. Both vaccine and antiviral are free, although I could see $$ billing occurring if you went to a private clinic instead of a public health department or academic medical facility.

[Edmond Hausfrau]

With the return to college campuses just around the corner, it's a good time to talk to teens about vaccines and making sure they are protected. Meningitis was rampant when I was in school and there are now vaccines to protect against it and other infectious outbreaks.

[David]

^^^^ it affects the gay community who are more likely to read into those things. It can and ultimately will be used to spread homophobia on some level just like HIV/AIDS did. It’s just better to say it affects the gay community than it being a gay disease.

You can easily see this on the news articles about kids getting diagnosed with Monkeypox, there's an immediately jump in logic where some people assume that pediatric cases imply child abuse by someone gay.

[Bill Robertson]

With the return to college campuses just around the corner, it's a good time to talk to teens about vaccines and making sure they are protected. Meningitis was rampant when I was in school and there are now vaccines to protect against it and other infectious outbreaks.

I haven't seen anything about what Oklahoma will do but if we follow the lead of other places the vaccine won't be available to college kids for some time.

[Bill Robertson]

You can easily see this on the news articles about kids getting diagnosed with Monkeypox, there's an immediately jump in logic where some people assume that pediatric cases imply child abuse by someone gay.

That jump in logic is a flaw in the people jumping to that conclusion. The biggest problem with both COVID and Monkey Pox is the ridiculous beliefs of people that are not even remotely based in reality. And I'm not sure anyone can do anything about such insanity.

[bsmall]

Having an EE background to me this is just like saying something is "causing a voltage drop" vs being "a voltage drop issue". They mean the same thing essentially. BTW, I hated English or any other such class that had to do with language just for this reason.

There absolutely is a difference between your two examples. An air conditioner compressor's inrush current will temporarily "cause a voltage drop" but that is expected and not necessarily an issue. The lights in your home may dim because of a "voltage drop issue" but the lights themselves are not "causing a voltage drop"

There are lots of ways to describe a situation that are technically accurate, but do not provide the reader/listener with a good understanding of what's happening.

Let's say someone's ceiling fan stops working because of a power outage. Describing the situation it as a "ceiling fan problem" is misleading because the problem is not limited to ceiling fans.
Perhaps this power outage was isolated to a strip mall, and the only business currently open is a ceiling fan store. Technically you could say it's a "problem primarily affecting ceiling fans"
A news report on this could be titled as "sudden increase in the number of inoperable ceiling fans" and that would technically be accurate, but it does not provide people with a good assessment of the situation.

[David]

Seeing a fun story this evening of a surgeon in Spain confronting a man with visible Monkeypox sores all over his legs on public transit, and everyone involved was certain that they had nothing to be concerned about because they weren't gay.






Original Spanish language thread here.

The public heath response to this outbreak is an in-progress massive screwup.

[Bill Robertson]

There absolutely is a difference between your two examples. An air conditioner compressor's inrush current will temporarily "cause a voltage drop" but that is expected and not necessarily an issue. The lights in your home may dim because of a "voltage drop issue" but the lights themselves are not "causing a voltage drop"

There are lots of ways to describe a situation that are technically accurate, but do not provide the reader/listener with a good understanding of what's happening.

Let's say someone's ceiling fan stops working because of a power outage. Describing the situation it as a "ceiling fan problem" is misleading because the problem is not limited to ceiling fans.
Perhaps this power outage was isolated to a strip mall, and the only business currently open is a ceiling fan store. Technically you could say it's a "problem primarily affecting ceiling fans"
A news report on this could be titled as "sudden increase in the number of inoperable ceiling fans" and that would technically be accurate, but it does not provide people with a good assessment of the situation.

It wasn't the best correlation. However if your A/C compressor makes your lights dim you may have an issue that needs to be addressed. If not a bad start capacitor or failing compressor then probably one or more loose neutral connections somewhere.

[BoulderSooner]

Ignoring statistical reality because it might hurt someone’s feelings. Is not a way to run public health policy. (Or any public policy).

[Oklapatriot]

It wasn't the best correlation. However if your A/C compressor makes your lights dim you may have an issue that needs to be addressed. If not a bad start capacitor or failing compressor then probably one or more loose neutral connections somewhere.

Bill, it's hard to use Ohm's law in the same sentence as monkeypox. I get where you're coming from because it appears were in the same business. BTW, did the Curcumin work out?

[PoliSciGuy]

Ignoring statistical reality because it might hurt someone’s feelings. Is not a way to run public health policy. (Or any public policy).

I suggest you read the Twitter thread from Spain posted earlier to see the harm that comes with assuming this only affects gay people. You might learn something.

[BoulderSooner]

I suggest you read the Twitter thread from Spain posted earlier to see the harm that comes with assuming this only affects gay people. You might learn something.

Where did I say it only effected homosexual makes?


But what percent of cases are homosexual males. That is relevant information for any one to know

[Plutonic Panda]

Where did I say it only effected homosexual makes?


But what percent of cases are homosexual males. That is relevant information for any one to know

So what’s your point? Where did anyone here say that shouldn’t be factored in? All anyone here has said it that it isn’t correct to call it a gay disease. Do you care to elaborate your point a bit more or you do want to do what you usually do and post pointless comments and be purposely vague?

[Canoe]

Does anyone have a white paper explaining how easily it spreads? It is like poison ivy with skin to skin contact or do you typically need more vigorous ummm rubbing of the effected area to spread monkey pox? Does anyone know?

[Bill Robertson]

Bill, it's hard to use Ohm's law in the same sentence as monkeypox. I get where you're coming from because it appears were in the same business. BTW, did the Curcumin work out?

It seemed to work for awhile. Now not so much but I'm going to take what I have hoping it starts again.

[Canoe]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/healt...tates-becerra/

Well there you go.

[kukblue1]

Zero deaths as of the end of July in the United States and I think 10 world wide. More considered about meningococcal. https://stpetecatalyst.com/expert-me...han-monkeypox/ Grant it only Florida right now but still

[Canoe]

Now now now blue. There maybe be 0 deaths now bit it has been declared an emergency and by october or November it could turn into a big thing where the public will not fill comfortable standing in line next to someone else until they get thier shot.

[Scott5114]

Just because a disease isn't deadly doesn't mean it doesn't have a big impact on quality of life. I doubt most people would want to be laid up for the four weeks this disease can take to pass. Most people couldn't afford to miss that much work.