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Raleigh, NC — As the Biden administration declares monkeypox a public health emergency, Triangle colleges and universities are looking at safety protocols.
North Carolina reported 86 cases of the virus on Thursday, the largest single day jump and 14 more than Wednesday.
Aug. 22 is the first day of classes for students at North Carolina State University. School leaders say the plan to offer testing and vaccines through Campus Health Services if and when vaccines are available.
Prior to the start of classes, only a few graduate students, like Ab Gundala, are on NC State’s campus.
“We’re all out here trying to get an education, just trying to be normal,” said Gundala.
As students try to navigate college during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, they know they have the added concern of monkeypox.
“Dealing with, controlling, a whole group of college kids is not necessarily … 30,000 kids … it’s not easy,” said Gundala.
Dr. David Weber with UNC Health said declaring monkeypox a public health emergency gives officials more power to ramp up production of vaccines and take other actions.
“We have many advantages compared to COVID — less infectious. We have a rash so it’s easier to diagnose. We don’t have any shortage right now of diagnostic tests. We have an already FDA approved vaccine. We have therapies we can use, said Weber.
The most common spread of monkeypox, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is when people come in contact with rash, scabs or bodily fluids of monkeypox.
Weber says students should be concerned, but not panicked.
“It should be put in perspective of mild, self-limited disease … an uncommon disease at the moment,” said Weber. “One that requires prolonged person-to-person direct skin contact, so I don’t think this is going to be a serious threat for even college students, and clearly not a threat for kindergarten through twelfth grade students.”
“It can be contracted through breathing it in, but again, it requires prolonged contact, generally more than three hours, unlike COVID, which could occur in just a few minutes.”
Rachel Roper, a professor of immunology at East Carolina University, shared the risk involved living in tight quarters, like residence halls.
“Anytime you get a whole bunch of humans together, you have the chance of viral transmission or bacterial … group housing increases the chances to ride if you have a bunch of people living in the same building. It’s much more likely to spread disease ,” said Roper.
“Generally, monkeypox isn’t that much of a concern for the general population. Now, there may be some outbreaks … it could change dramatically but I think it’s unlikely.”
Students hope learning institutions learned their lesson from COVID-19 outbreaks.
“Should another outbreak happen, hopefully it doesn’t, but if it does, I think they are well prepared and will consistently do the right thing,” said Gundala.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill said campus health is prepared to identify symptoms, test when indicated and recommend the vaccine.
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