All over the world, monkeypox cases have reached more than 16,000 infections from 40 countries, which prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare it a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). Most cases reported were of gay and bisexual men who have sex with other men.

A gay man from Georgia, who contracted the monkeypox virus during a friendly gathering, shared his experience to shed light on what it is like to be infected with the once rare virus.

Living Through Monkeypox: Georgia Man Shares His Experience of Being Infected With the Once Rare Virus
(Photo : CDC/Getty Images)
Center For Disease Control handout photo, monkeypox-like lesions are shown on the arm and leg of a female child in Bondua, Liberia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said June 7 the viral disease monkeypox, thought to be spread by prairie dogs, has been detected in the Americas for the first time with about 20 cases reported in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana.

What Is It Like Having Monkeypox Virus?

In an interview with Alex Whittler of FOX 5, Samarion "Sam" Anthony said over Zoom that he spent the past couple of weeks thinking that the small marks on his body were just pimples and mosquito or flea bites.

However, his routine blood work at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in Midtown Thursday, showed that he is positive for the monkeypox virus. He could not believe it since he thought that skin lesions from the virus would be bigger than his rashes.

According to Anthony, he played cards with his friends on July 10 and one of them had just recently returned from a trip to Mexico. His friend did not show any skin lesions on his body that day but called a few days later about the strange bumps on his arms.

He recalled that he started to see some lesions on his body too by July 14. It was followed by gastrointestinal issues, swollen lymph nodes and muscle spasms. Doctors told him that the only treatment was to get through it and he was put into self-isolation.

Dr. Quintin Robinson previously told the FOX 5 Medical Team that self-isolation is preferably done in the patient's own room with their own bathroom.

The Georgia Department of Public Health said that 96% of their cases are among gay or bisexual men. However, Anthony thinks people should be careful of this virus even if they are not sexually active. 

"I am a gay male, but I didn't get it from sex. We're just affectionate men," he was quoted by FOX 5 as saying.

ALSO READ: Monkeypox Is Not an HIV, STD or a Gay Disease; Experts Warn Over Racist Reports

Should the Public be Worried About Monkeypox?

CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and a professor at George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, explained in an interview that monkeypox transmission is not yet a concern for most people in the US.

However, men who have sexual intercourse with other men or those people who have intimate contact with multiple or anonymous individuals are at high risk of getting infected. They are advised to immediately seek testing after seeing a new rash or sore and avoid physical contact for a while.

People should do their part in reducing their risk of getting infected by avoiding crowded public places, such as clubs, raves, sex parties, and other places where prolonged skin-to-skin or face-to-face contact is required.

When asked if monkeypox could become endemic in the US, Wen said that they are hoping it will not because the virus can still be contained through testing and vaccination. Health experts are optimistic that the PHEIC status of the monkeypox virus will prevent it from being an endemic virus in the country.

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