Dear ACS Families,
If Covid wasn't enough for everyone, it looks like we will now have to contend with a new disease, monkeypox. Fortunately, the risk of community spread is quite low, and we do not expect any disruptions at school because of monkeypox.
Our health staff has provided answers to questions I'm sure we all are asking. Here they are:
What is Monkeypox?
Monkeypox is a disease caused by the monkeypox virus, which is a viral zoonotic disease that can spread from animals to humans. It can also spread between people.
Where did Monkeypox come from?
Monkeypox is commonly found in Central and West Africa where there are tropical rainforests and where animals that may carry the virus typically live.
How is Monkeypox spread? Is it very contagious?
- Monkeypox can spread to people when they come into physical contact with an infected animal.
- One can catch monkeypox through close physical contact (with someone who has symptoms.
- Monkeypox is NOT considered to be very contagious because it requires close physical contact with someone who is infectious (e.g., skin to skin, blood, bodily fluids) to spread between people. The risk to the general public is low.
- Cases are likely to continue to riseover the next two-to-three weeks, but this is not another pandemic in the making. Monkeypox doesn't spread anywhere near as easily as the airborne virus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19.
Is there a vaccine for Monkeypox?
No, but people who were vaccinated against smallpox are likely to have some protection against monkeypox infection.
What are the symptoms? How long does it last?
- Symptoms include intense headache, body aches, swollen lymph nodes and skin rash or lesions.
- The incubation period (interval from infection to onset of symptoms) of Monkeypox is usually from 6 to 13 days but can range from 5 to 21 day.
- Symptoms last between two to four weeks and go away on their own without treatment.
If you believe someone in your family may have had exposure to monkeypox, please contact one of our nurses (Nadine Mattar (ACS Beirut) nmattar@acs.edu.lb; Nada Halawi (ACS Beirut) nhalawi@acs.edu.lb).
And one unrelated reminder: As per our school calendar, school is closed tomorrow, Wednesday, May 25, to commemorate the Liberation of Southern Lebanon.
Sincerely,
Tom Cangiano