Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 24: Mpox is unlikely to turn into a pandemic like COVID-19 and will likely be forgotten over time, said Prof. Sanjay Rai from the Department of Community Medicine at AIIMS New Delhi today.
Speaking at the ‘Kashmir Science Vision-2024’ conference, held at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) in collaboration with Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, Prof. Rai noted that the infection, discovered in 1970, is not new.
“Mpox is not new, unlike COVID-19, which spread before we knew anything about it. We’ve known about Mpox for the last 50 years, and a lot of research has been done on it over time,” he said.
Dr. Rai emphasized that despite the infection being declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO), it is unlikely to become a major problem or escalate into a pandemic.
“With the evidence generated over the years, we can confidently say that it is unlikely to become a pandemic like COVID-19 did. There is no need for panic,” he said.
While stressing the importance of adhering to protocols, he added, “We understand its transmissibility, and it doesn’t have the infectivity of COVID-19. There is less mutation, and even if it occurs, the virus does not change significantly. People will talk about it for some time and then forget.”
It is important to note that while J&K has not reported any Mpox cases to date, the authorities are prepared to deal with any situation that may arise from the possible spread of the infection.
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