Major lockdown update as dangerous new strain of mpox sparks global health emergency
WHO has issued an update on Europe heading into lockdown as mpox spreads like wildfire
Getty Images
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an update on Europe's prospect of another lockdown as mpox spreads like wildfire.
Mpox is a viral disease that causes fluid-filled skin lesions, fever and in severe cases, death. A dangerous new variant, called Clade 1b, is gripping parts of Central and West Africa. It is also spreading beyond the continent.
Thailand confirmed its first case of suspected Clade 1b on Wednesday. It follows Sweden, Thailand, Pakistan and the Philippines, although health officials there say the case belongs to Clade 2, a milder variant.
Ever since WHO declared mpox a global health emergency on August 14, speculation has mounted over the implementation of lockdowns and mass vaccination programmes to contain its spread.
The fear is not irrational - there have been more than 14,000 cases and 511 deaths recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo this year alone. It has also spread to four other countries in the region.
Clade 1b has a higher death rate than Clade 2, which sparked the 2022 outbreak.
Clade 1b is gripping parts of Central and West Africa
ReutersAre we locking down?
Commenting on the threat posed by Clade 1b, Europe regional director Doctor Hans Kluge told journalists this week that we are in a very different place to the dark days of Covid.
"Are we going to go in lockdown in the WHO European region, it's another Covid-19? The answer is clearly: 'no'," he said.
"Two years ago, we controlled mpox in Europe thanks to the direct engagement with the most affected communities of men who have sex with men," Doctor Kluge said.
Lessons have been learned but we must act now to get vaccines to those who need it the most, Doctor Kluge added.
Cold comfort
As our investigation this week reveals, there are several reasons to be worried about the current outbreak.
The amount of vaccine required has been estimated by Africa CDC to be 10 million doses but getting these vaccines to deprived areas fast will prove challenging.
The UK Government has pledged a £3.1 million package to help contain the spread but it remains to be seen whether rich countries can come together in a timely fashion and resist the temptation to stockpile vaccines.
How the virus is spreading is also making virologists nervous.
LATEST HEALTH DEVELOPMENTS
The amount of vaccine required has been estimated by Africa CDC to be 10 million doses
Getty ImagesUnlike Clade 2, which was confined to men having sex with men, Clade 1b is "bleeding out" to the wider community, spreading through heterosexual contact, pregnant women and children, warns Assistant Professor Brian Labu of the University of Nevada in Las Vegas.
The public may not be cognizant of this, which could breed complacency.
The professor likens this insouciance to the aids epidemic in the 80s, where it was "mostly men who had sex with other men but not exclusively", he says.
Clear public health messaging is therefore needed, the professor adds.