Monkeypox Rages In Chicago, Infections Up 65% From Last Week
Another major U.S. city is feeling the consequences of the country’s failure at managing yet another pandemic. Monkeypox is already out of control in Los Angeles and New York City, and now we can add Chicago to the list of cities overcome by the excruciatingly painful and debilitating virus. Via Yahoo:
Chicago public health officials reported 173 monkeypox cases on Monday — up from 105 last week — and with vaccines scarce and hard to find, alarm is growing among doctors and those in the gay community that the city is not doing enough to address the spread.
Health officials are imploring the city to do more by increasing not only resources such as contact tracing, but also public awareness and education. Some in the gay community feel that the lack of public concern about the virus is because it’s mostly affecting men who have sex with other men, but health officials warn there is nothing to stop the virus from spreading to the entire population.
Nine Chicagoans have been hospitalized because of the illness, Chicago Department of Public Health spokesperson Andrew Buchanan said Monday. The city’s vaccination effort is focused on people with the highest risk of exposure, which includes gay men, bisexual men and other men who have sex with men at venues, with multiple or anonymous partners, or for money.
In addition to NYC, LA, and Chicago, monkeypox has invaded the gay sex worker community in Florida, too. Talent agent Howard Andrew posted to Facebook yesterday that 18 models he represents are currently infected with the virus (not to mention several others who have COVID):
