Monkeypox cases are already doubling every two weeks, prompting concerns that it would take many months for the outbreak to peak, according to scientists advising the World Health Organization (WHO).
By August 2, there are expected to be just over 27,000 cases of monkeypox in 88 countries, up from the most recent tally of 17,800 cases in over 70 nations.
Scientists from all over the world told Reuters that making forecasts beyond that is difficult, but that continuous transmission is expected to last for several months, if not longer.
Anne Rimoin, a professor of epidemiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, stated, ‘We have to get ahead of this.’
According to Rimoin, a member of the WHO expert monkeypox committee that convened last week to decide whether the epidemic constituted a public health emergency, ‘it’s evident the window of time for doing so is shrinking.’
Despite a majority of committee members voting against it, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus took an unusual step and declared an emergency.
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