An adult film star shares photos of how his lesions due to the monkeypox virus developed over a month to educate others about its symptoms. MailOnline reported that the gay man started getting them around July 11 when pimple-like white spots appeared around his mouth. He saw these spots develop into painful red blisters before they scabbed over and started healing.
As of Wednesday, the US has over 13,500 monkeypox cases, and globally it is now almost 40,000 cases detected in 94 countries based on the 2022 Monkeypox Outbreak Global Map of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here's What It's Like to Have Monkeypox
Silver Steele, of Houston, Texas, first noticed the pimple-like white spots around his mouth after attending a Fourth of July party. He told Insider that he initially thought it was only a razor burn, but four days later, his health declined.
He felt some swollen lymph nodes that hurt when he swallowed and was experiencing trouble moving. He went to a doctor who confirmed he was infected with the monkeypox virus.
He developed fever, chills, and night sweats. His lesions began to hurt 48 hours later as his flu symptoms subsided. He also developed more lesions on his gums, throat, hands, and legs. According to him, it was most painful when he ate.
Steele received the TPOXX vaccine, which was previously used for smallpox and can only be accessed through special permission from the CDC. He encouraged other people to get vaccinated when they could, as these are more accessible than the treatment. Other monkeypox patients have started sharing their experiences on social media, like 30-year-old Matt Ford from Los Angeles. He developed lesions all over his body. In his case, some are in sensitive areas and it's where they tend to be most painful.
Both Steele and Ford said they shared their experience to educate more people about the virus and let them see what it is like to be infected.
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared the current monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency in early August after the country's cases hit almost 7,000.
In this Centers for Disease Control and Prevention handout graphic, symptoms of one of the first known cases of the monkeypox virus are shown on a patient?s hand May 27, 2003.
ALSO READ: World Health Organization (WHO) Decides to Rename Monkeypox Genetic Clades to Avoid Stigmatization
Will Monkeypox Lesions Leave Some Scars?
The CDC says that monkeypox lesions are firm or rubbery, well-circumscribed, deep-seated, and sometimes could develop umbilication that is seen by a dot on the top. They are often painful until they heal when they become itchy.
They can develop in any part of the body. Their evolution progresses through four steps: macular, popular, vesicular, and pustular.
Scabbing and desquamation happen when they are no longer contagious.
Unfortunately, they can leave unwanted permanent changes in the skin. Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Trisha Dasgupta told ABC News that some patients may develop depressed or atrophic scars that look like those seen following a chicken infection or with severe acne. Monkeypox lesions could heal with a lightening or dark discoloration on the skin.
Dasgupta noted that these scars could have varying appearances and degrees of severity. Lesions on the face tend to heal better than other parts of the body. Experts suggest taking care of the skin as the best way to prevent scarring.
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