"Given the increase in cases, the truth is that we must be prepared for a trickle of deaths from now on"

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Three deaths from monkeypox outside Africa, the endemic area, two in Spain and one in Brazil.

These are added to the five that the World Health Organization has accounted for on the African continent.

The deaths have been confirmed a week after the WHO declared the infection a public health emergency.

The fatal outcome of at least three cases outside the borders should call for reflection on the course that "the situation is taking.

Because so far things have been done bad: detection of cases, containment of outbreaks, treatment of patients...".

This is how Alfredo Corell, professor of Immunology at the University of Valladolid and member of the Spanish Society of Immunology, summarizes the current situation.

The number of cases that are added, "and those that may be yet to come",

Correll points out in reference to the fact that "almost three weeks have passed since the Pride celebrations, the necessary ones in which the disease is incubated, and there may be a increase in cases worldwide.

, according to data from the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network (Renave), as of July 30, a total of 4,298 confirmed cases of monkey pox or

have already been reported .

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"

and these are the ones that have the most problems with infection," Corell recalls.

The two deceased in Spain are due to complications of the infection.

Avoid infection and its complications

From the first case reported on Friday afternoon, it has transpired that it has been caused by

and that it is being analyzed to determine definitive confirmation of the cause.

Of the confirmed on Saturday, it has been reported that he is a 31-year-old man who was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Reina Sofía University Hospital in Córdoba.

The samples taken during the necropsy will determine

.

"Given the increase in cases (and that new ones continue to be added), the truth is that

," laments Corell, and insists that "we are facing the least lethal variant, the that comes from Nigeria with a 1% risk of death, since, if it were from Congo, it would rise to 10% ".

In addition, it makes a point that the vaccines that are already available are used wisely.

Specifically, in

, of which 393 were pre-exposure and 164 post-exposure (contacts) and in Catalonia, some 655. "

[currently there are 120 hospitalized patients (3.2%) and 7% of the mild 7% presented complications throughout their clinical process] and if it is used in people at pre-exposure risk we will avoid more cases".

It should be remembered that the Carlos III Health Institute sequenced 23 samples in just over a week since the first cases were registered and confirmed that

the least serious.

Another study published in 'Nature' by Portuguese researchers revealed the genetic changes in the current outbreak of monkeypox and pointed to a single origin.

"The truth is that the traceability of the cases has complicated everything a lot. It is known that there was a first case in the United Kingdom from a trip to Nigeria and from there the transmission has reached Spain, Portugal...

", emphasizes the immunologist.

Corell

.

"We have to know who has been with whom after the infection. If you don't want to say, whatever the circumstances, at least you have to quarantine, limit interactions with others for a few weeks."

And it also points out something with which the WHO has caused controversy: reducing sexual relations.

"Yes, I know this can be controversial, but wouldn't it be a good public health measure to close or avoid certain entertainment venues for a month to see how cases go down?" Corell says.

Contagions in other groups

Because he remembers that we

, "such as brothels or families with children. Or, at least, we still do not know if it has happened," says the professor.

In Spain, of the patients reported in SiViES, a total of

;

in three this information is not stated;

and,

.

If we compare the transmission of our country with the rest of the world, differences can be glimpsed.

In Spain,

of cases it was caused by close contact in the

and

- sexual contact.

At a global level, the WHO estimates sexual transmission at more than 98% because it has been declared in men who have sex with men.

"All this leads us to reflect that we must take action on the matter," says Corell.

"The LGTBI community is concerned about stigma. But

. If you suspect, go to the doctor; if you get it, quarantine."

Searching for new evidence for the current outbreak

Corell explains that at this time

to find out

"because until now it was always from animal reservoirs";

why it is important or not that virus DNA has been found in semen and saliva, "to know if it is spread by droplets, so wearing the mask and washing hands is essential again".

In the rest of

,

confirmed cases have been reported.

Germany (2,540), the United Kingdom (2,367), France (1,837), the Netherlands (878) and Portugal (633) are the most affected countries after Spain.

Most are young men with a history of relationships in a risky sexual context.

To these figures,

, with the United States (4,907), Canada (761), Brazil (978), Peru (269) and Israel (133), among the most affected countries. .

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