An official with the World Health Organization (WHO) said that mpox is not the same as COVID-19 and signaled there will not be lockdowns or similar measures, in comments about a week after the U.N. health agency declared an emergency over the virus.
“Two years ago, we controlled mpox in Europe thanks to the direct engagement with the most affected communities of men who have sex with men,” Han Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said on Tuesday.
Mpox, a viral infection known as monkeypox, causes pus-filled lesions and flu-like symptoms. It is usually mild but can kill. Officials say that an mpox strain called Clade Ib has caused global concern because it seems to spread more easily through routine close contact. A case of the variant was confirmed last week in Sweden and linked to a growing outbreak in Africa, the first sign of its spread outside the continent.