Podcast Summary
Car Insurance with Progressive's Name Your Price Tool and Monkeypox Outbreak: Progressive lets you set your car insurance budget, while monkeypox, a disease related to smallpox, is causing concern due to its impact on specific communities and slow public health response. Integrative Therapeutics sells clinician curated supplements on Amazon, and Apple Card offers daily cash back.
Progressive's name your price tool allows you to set your budget for car insurance and provides coverage options that match. Meanwhile, the monkeypox outbreak, which has been detected in over 75 cases in the US, is causing concern due to its prevalence among certain communities and the slow bureaucratic response from public health officials. The US has declared a public health emergency in response to the disease, which is related to smallpox but less deadly and less transmissible. The outbreak has drawn comparisons to the early days of HIV AIDS and the COVID-19 pandemic due to its impact on specific communities, primarily gay and queer men, as well as communities of color and HIV positive individuals. It's important for everyone to take monkeypox seriously and help tackle this virus. In other news, Integrative Therapeutics offers clinician curated supplements on Amazon, and Apple Card earns daily cash back on various purchases.
Monkeypox: From Animal-Borne to Global Concern: Monkeypox, historically an animal-borne disease, is now spreading globally through human-to-human transmission, primarily among men who have sex with men, highlighting the importance of staying informed about emerging health threats.
Monkeypox, a disease historically associated with certain regions in Africa, has evolved into a global concern with the current outbreak. Before this outbreak, monkeypox was primarily understood as an animal-borne disease with occasional human transmission. However, during the 2022 outbreak, cases began appearing in countries where the virus was not typically found, primarily among men who have sex with men. This new trend of human-to-human transmission was first identified in Nigeria in 2017 by Dr. Damir Oguyne, who tried to warn the medical community but was met with skepticism. The virus has since spread globally, with over 27,000 cases reported as of now, a quarter of which are in the US. The changing dynamics of monkeypox transmission underscore the importance of staying informed and adaptable to emerging health threats. To learn more about monkeypox and how it might impact you, visit apple.com/cardcalculator (Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch, subject to credit approval. Terms apply).
Monkeypox spreading through sexual contact, considered an STD plus: Monkeypox primarily spreads through sexual contact, considered an STD plus by experts, but testing is limited and not recommended until active lesions appear, potentially missing early cases
Monkeypox is primarily spreading through sexual contact, making it behave like a sexually transmitted disease, even though it's not officially classified as one by the World Health Organization or the CDC. The US currently has the largest detected outbreak, with over 7,000 cases, but testing was limited during the first few months, resulting in an undercount. The CDC recommends testing only those with active lesions, which means people are likely to be far into the infectious period before they can even get tested. Monkeypox can also spread through prolonged face-to-face contact and touching the virus repeatedly on surfaces, but sexual transmission is the main way it's spreading at present. Doctors and experts consider it an STD plus, as it's spreading through sex but not exclusively. The FDA is sticking with testing people with active lesions, which may not be the most effective approach.
Monkeypox vaccine distribution faces challenges: Despite limited vaccine supply, priority is given to gay and bisexual males, but many are still waiting. FDA considers dose-sparing, but effectiveness is uncertain. US orders more doses, but outbreak is surging. Widespread distribution for herd immunity remains elusive.
While there are vaccines and treatments available for monkeypox, their distribution and efficacy are currently limited. Unlike the COVID-19 response, where we had a head start with vaccines and treatments, the response to the monkeypox outbreak is facing challenges due to a vaccine shortage. The CDC identifies the gay and bisexual male community as the priority population, but many in this group are still waiting to receive their doses. The FDA is considering a dose-sparing strategy to stretch the available supply, but its effectiveness is uncertain. The US government has ordered more doses and expects to have 7 million doses by mid-2023, but the outbreak is currently surging. Ideally, a vaccine with widespread distribution would create herd immunity and halt the spread, but this goal remains elusive for the monkeypox response.
Monkeypox Outbreak: Access to Effective Treatments Remains a Challenge: The monkeypox outbreak highlights the challenges in accessing effective treatments due to complex and time-consuming prescription processes and underlying structural issues within the healthcare system.
The monkeypox outbreak is presenting significant challenges in terms of access to effective treatments, despite having resources available. Some people experience mild cases with few lesions, while others have more serious cases with internal lesions or complications that require hospitalization. An antiviral pill called Tecovirimat, or TPOX, can help stop the virus from spreading, but the process for doctors to prescribe it is complex and time-consuming, making it difficult for patients to access. This issue echoes the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, where a full toolbox of vaccines, treatments, and tests was available but access remained a significant challenge. Dr. Melanie Thompson, a longtime HIV doctor in Atlanta, emphasizes that these access issues stem from structural problems within the healthcare system, including lack of a unified healthcare system, underfunded public health systems, and the decimation of these systems by COVID-19. Ideally, people with monkeypox would isolate at home until they're no longer infectious. However, the current challenges in accessing treatments underscore the need for addressing these structural issues to ensure effective disease control and prevention.
Monkeypox Outbreak Struggles in US: Stigma, Finances Hinder Public Health Efforts: Urgent action needed to contain monkeypox in US, prioritize vaccines, treatments, and education to those at risk, and reduce stigma to encourage testing and care.
The monkeypox outbreak in the United States is rapidly spreading and the public health system is struggling to keep up. Many people are facing stigma and financial pressures that make it difficult for them to prioritize public health measures, leading to the continued spread of the virus. The data collection and vaccine distribution efforts are lagging, leaving many questions unanswered about the extent of the outbreak and the effectiveness of current interventions. The window for containing monkeypox is narrowing, and experts warn that if we don't take urgent action, we risk having endemic monkeypox in the United States for years to come. It's crucial that we prioritize getting vaccines, treatments, and education out to those most at risk and work to reduce the stigma surrounding the virus to encourage people to come forward for testing and care.
Emphasizing interconnectedness of diseases in today's world: Global health experts stress the importance of international cooperation in addressing global health crises as diseases don't respect borders and impact individuals beyond our borders.
Learning from this discussion on NPR's Shortwave podcast is that global health experts emphasize the interconnectedness of diseases in today's world. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the recent emergence of monkeypox, it's clear that diseases don't respect borders. Until we eradicate diseases everywhere, they remain a threat to people everywhere. This underscores the importance of international cooperation in addressing global health crises. The podcast episode was produced by Chloe Wiener, edited by Rebecca Ramirez, fact checked by Rachel Carlson, and contributed to by Michaleen Dukleff. Easycater, a corporate catering solution, and BlackRock's podcast, The Bid, sponsored the episode. The Bid features discussions on investment challenges and solutions involving global capital markets. This interconnectedness of diseases and global issues highlights the need for effective international collaboration and communication to mitigate risks and protect public health. It's a reminder that our actions, no matter where we are in the world, can impact the health and well-being of individuals far beyond our borders.
