President Joe Biden said on Sunday, May 22, that the increasing spread of monkeypox, detected in Europe and the United States, is something "to be concerned about," sending some parents into a panic.
During a stop in the Asian country of South Korea over the weekend, Biden was asked what his health advisers have been telling him about the virus that rarely spreads beyond the borders of Africa.
Biden told reporters at Osan Air Base before boarding Air Force One for a flight to Japan that his health advisers had not told him the level of exposure yet, but admitted that monkeypox is an illness that everybody should be concerned about, according to a report by CBS News.
Spread of monkeypox concerning for President Biden
Biden added that they are working hard on it to figure out what they should do and what vaccine, if any, may be available for it. Biden noted that it is a concern in the sense that if monkeypox were to spread, it would be consequential.
Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, said that the United States is prepared for such a scenario and has a supply of "vaccine that is relevant to treating monkeypox."
Sullivan added that the President is regularly updated on any developments about monkeypox by his health team, based on the written inputs they are getting from their health and medical team, despite being on the road.
According to Sullivan, they walk the President through the current situation as they learn about monkeypox cases in the United States and elsewhere, ensuring he is tracking the complete picture.
According to the World Health Organization, there have been 92 confirmed cases of monkeypox worldwide, with another 28 suspected cases, as of Saturday, May 21. As per BBC, cases have also been confirmed in Canada, Australia, and Israel.
Possible case of monkeypox in New York City
One of those suspected cases belongs to a patient in New York City. Health officials are currently examining the person after testing positive for a family of viruses to which monkeypox belongs. It is still unclear if the person is infected with the rare disease.
Although the illness belongs to the same virus family as smallpox, the symptoms of monkeypox are milder. People diagnosed with monkeypox usually recover within two to four weeks without needing to be hospitalized, but the disease is occasionally deadly, according to the New York Post.
The virus was first identified among monkeys, and it rarely spreads outside of the African continent, which has made the latest rash of monkeypox cases across the globe alarming health officials.
