Monkeypox: Patient shares horrific experience of developing 'large puss-filled bumps' on face

Monkeypox cases continue to increase around the world. So far, there have been less than 20,000 cases reported worldwide. Despite fewer cases compared to Coronavirus, Monkeypox should not be underestimated as many patients have opened up about their unpleasant and horrific experiences of the disease. Therefore, it should not be taken lightly and preventive measures should be followed to avoid the disease in the first place.

Lake Javan, a Monkeypox patient from the United States has shared his symptoms on social media and encouraged everyone to not take this condition as a “joke” and get vaccinated.

To share his experience, Javan posted pictures on Twitter showing his swollen fingers as well as lesions on his face and chin.

Alongside the photos, he wrote, “So if anybody thinks monkeypox is like a joke - it’s sadly not.. pictures are kind of graphic but just to give you a real idea.” Javan added these photos did not show the lesions inside his mouth or the small ones on his arms.

He recalled how his symptoms began and then worsened. “Symptoms started last Wednesday: beginning with extreme chills. Next chronic fatigue and migraine level headaches and body pain. When it wasn’t chills, I was waking up in pools of sweat; during the sickness stage large puss-filled bumps formed on my face and on the inside of my mouth.” He added that due to Monkeypox, he has experienced “extremely high levels of pain.”

In general, Monkeypox symptoms include fever, lymph node enlargement, headache and sweating. Other symptoms include muscle aches, backache, shivering and exhaustion. The rash breaks out in two to four days after the initial symptoms. These lesions can become painful with time. They will eventually scab and fall off.

The lesions occur mostly over the face. They also appear on other body parts including the palms, soles, and mucosa. They can also appear in the genital area. These can take about two to four weeks for recovery. Complications can occur for some people such as development of pneumonia, secondary bacterial skin infection, and visual loss due to eye involvement.

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Javan is encouraging people to get vaccinated against Monkeypox. Unlike the early stages of COVID-19 pandemic, there is a vaccination available which can protect people from Monkeypox. According to the World Health Organisation, vaccination against smallpox was demonstrated through several observational studies to be about 85% effective in preventing Monkeypox. So, if you had gotten smallpox vaccination in the past, you may experience milder illness.

In the US, two vaccines – JYNNEOS (also known as Imvamune or Imvanex) and ACAM2000 – may be used for the prevention of Monkeypox virus infection. In India, research is being done to find a vaccine against Monkeypox virus.

So far, there have been eight cases of Monkeypox in India – reported in Kerala, 5, and Delhi, 3. All the confirmed cases in India so far have been found in young men. On Tuesday, a woman suspected to have Monkeypox was admitted to Lok Nayak, Delhi’s nodal hospital.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in Parliament, “Eight cases have been detected in the country so far, of whom five have a history of foreign travel. They have travelled from Dubai or Sharjah.”

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Amid the rising number of cases in India, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has released a list of do’s and don'ts for Monkeypox on its official Twitter handle. Take a look:

Do’s

• Isolate infected patients from others
• Wash your hands with soap and water or use hand sanitisers
• When near infected individuals, wear masks and disposable gloves
• Use disinfectants for environmental sanitation

Don'ts

• Don's share linen, bedding or towels with people who have contracted Monkeypox
• Don't wash soiled linen or laundry of infected persons with those of non-infected individuals
• Don't attend public events if you exhibit symptoms of Monkeypox
• Don't stigmatize groups of people based on misinformation