Monkeypox has spread mainly in Europe and the United States, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared it a public health emergency of international concern.


A man who was actually infected with monkeypox in the United States, which has the most infected people in the world, told us about the situation at the time.

He asked about the course of what he described as "the worst pain of his life."

The interviewee was Kyle Plank (26), a graduate student living in New York City.

Plank was diagnosed with monkeypox in early July.



The first time I noticed something unusual was at the end of June, when I had flu-like symptoms such as fever and headache, and at first I suspected that I was infected with the new coronavirus.



I was tested for corona, but the result was negative.



After 3-4 days, the fever subsided, but then a red rash began to appear on my hands and arms.



I thought, "Maybe," and took a test, and it was confirmed that I was infected with monkeypox.

What are the symptoms of "the most painful thing in life"?

The rash on Mr. Plank's arm gradually changed into a 5 mm blister like a pimple.



In two to three days, these blisters spread to the entire body, such as the legs, back, and chest, and to the mucous membranes in the mouth, and there were about 30 places in total.

(Mr. Plank)


"At first, it felt like a tingling and itchy feeling. But as time went on, it became more and more painful. It was the worst pain I have ever experienced in my life.It was so painful that I couldn't sleep.I was sick when I lay down and when I was awake.The only thing that helped the pain was how many times a day. I had to take a warm bath once in a while."



The pain, which Plank described as "the worst I've ever had in my life," lasted for about a week.

An effective treatment for smallpox

In this pain, Mr. Plank started taking the medicine "Tekovirimat" prescribed by the doctor.



This is an oral drug developed by an American pharmaceutical company as a treatment for smallpox. Accepted for use.



Then, about two days after I started taking this medicine, the pain started to subside.



The blisters also subsided and eventually scabs healed.



The blisters on my wrists are now only faintly visible as if they were bitten by an insect, and it's barely noticeable unless I'm told.

It took 18 days for Mr. Plank to feel the change for the first time until his symptoms improved and his recovery was confirmed.



During that time, Mr. Plank followed the doctor's instructions and stayed indoors, avoiding contact with anyone.



When asked what he could think of as the cause of the infection, he mentioned participating in an event held in New York City in late June. I was talking about the possibility that it was caused by things and sexual contact.

WHO = World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared on July 23 that it was a public health emergency of international concern. It is concentrated among men who have sexual relations with their partners," but said, "Anyone can be infected through close contact, and it is not considered a disease of a specific group of people. should be vigilant," he warned, "prejudice and discrimination are just as dangerous as the virus."

(Mr. Plank)


“I think it is important to get correct information about what kind of behaviors have a high risk of infection so that people in the world do not panic. I think it's also important to get information from reliable sources."



Mr. Plank repeatedly stressed that having the right knowledge about monkeypox is the most important thing.