Gestalt #97 – Pandemics, Something Old

by monotreme1000

May 26

Bush meat virus

A virus that originated in animals in Africa crosses over to humans from bush meat (wild animals butchered for their meat). It starts to spread human to human in Africa. Later, it starts to spread human to human in Europe, United States and other countries. It requires close contact to spread, often with bodily fluids. Initially, it is found in one demographic but later is found in other groups as well.

Which virus am I writing about? Maybe you are thinking monkeypox. But it could just as easily be HIV. Monkeypox can be spread all the same ways HIV spreads. HIV causes AIDS. AIDS is a pandemic. Monkeypox can cause a pandemic. I am making this simple so that journalists, public health officials and politicians can understand.

AIDS was spread to recipients of blood transfusions before blood was tested for the presence of HIV. How many people have to get monkeypox injected directly into their bloodstream before blood is screened for monkeypox?

Contaminated Blankets

Everyone probably knows the story of how British colonists tried to infect American Indians with smallpox with blankets that someone with smallpox had used. Guess what? Monkeypox can be spread by blankets, sheets, towels, etc. How many hotels and motels thoroughly clean these items between guests. Not so many, I’m afraid. Going to try on some new jeans at a clothing store? Who else tried on those pants 15 minutes ago? Did they have monkeypox? You don’t know, do you?

Scarface

Milkmaids used to have a reputation for being especially beautiful. Why? Because they would get cowpox on their hands from milking cows. This protected them from getting smallpox. Everyone else would get smallpox and have big pits all over the face (and other places as well). Guess what? Monkeypox also leaves scars.

Miscarriage and fetal death

I had read that monkeypox was dangerous to pregnant women. In what way? The only study I could find on this found that 75% of pregnant women who were infected with monkeypox miscarried or experienced a fetal death. How many women know this? Shouldn’t they be told?

Reference:

Maternal and Fetal Outcomes Among Pregnant Women with Human Monkeypox Infection in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mbala et al. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 216: pages 824–828. October 2017

https://academic.oup.com/jid/article/216/7/824/4348689

Vaccine and antivirals

We are told not to worry because we have a smallpox vaccine, and it is 85% effective against monkeypox. Great. Here’s the thing. This vaccine is not mild. No, it’s not. The side effects from this vaccine are much more serious than the vaccine for SARS-CoV-2.

I will get it (again) as soon as I can, but I know that others will have doubts, especially since they are being told that monkeypox isn’t much worse than poison ivy. Some anti-vaxxers are already saying they won’t get the vaccine to protect against monkeypox. The thing is the only way smallpox was eradicated was through mandatory vaccination. In the 1960s, us kids just lined up and got our shots. We showed off the scars on our arms. Cool.

Could mandatory vaccination happen today with the current Supreme Court?

I have my doubts. If there is not a mandatory mass vaccination, then the virus will continue to spread and mutate. No one will be safe, even people who were vaccinated. 85% protection is not 100% protection. There are antivirals which may help, but what is the supply like for these? Who will get these antivirals if they are in short supply? Just the well-connected, like with Paxlovid? Cue the magic bean sellers hoping to make a quick buck with quack cures.

Russian Jokers

Two Russian state television hosts, Evgeny Popov and Olga Skabeeva, were recently having fun discussing the dissemination of monkeypox.

Monkeypox. Almost all who got sick with it are men of non-traditional sexual orientation,” Popov began.

Skabeeva added: “You won’t believe it, such a coincidence, or maybe it’s not a coincidence, most countries, whose homosexuals got monkeypox, are supplying weapons to the Kyiv regime. Stuff happens, right?”

Isabel van Brugen, Newsweek, 5/26/22

Yeah, stuff happens. The Soviet Union weaponized monkeypox. The Russians have this weapon in their freezers. Did they release it in NATO countries? Hope someone is looking into this.