Monkeypox hits Marin; health officials work to avoid stigmatization

Marinscope

Monkeypox cases hit the Bay Area last week with over 600 cases reported in San Francisco and 13 cases reported in Marin. More are expected as public health officials cope with the lack of vaccines available from the federal government and walk a fine line between the CDC’s guidance of properly addressing the virus where it is happening right now and also avoiding undue stigmatization of the disease.

The CDC’s site currently points out that “gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men” make up the majority cases, “however anyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, who has been in close, personal contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk.”

Data shows that 99 percent of monkeypox cases involve men and 94 percent of those infected reported recent same-sex intimate contact. Nearly three-quarters of the cases among men were from those who had two or more partners in the three weeks prior to the onset of symptoms.  

Marin’s health department is working closely with the Spahr Center to get vaccinations out to LGBTQ+ community. At an event last week sponsored by the Spahr Center, 111 people received vaccinations. 

Adrian Shanker, executive director of the Spahr Center, echoed the CDC pointing out that while the majority of transmission has been through sexual contact, monkeypox can also be spread through other forms of contact.

The Marin Health Department has also responded to that broader warning. 

“The most likely high-risk scenario exposure event would be high-contact sports, such as boxing, judo, karate, taekwondo, wrestling or group cheer,” Dr. Lisa Santora, Marin’s deputy public health officer, said. 

 “If there was a school-based exposure event, we would coordinate our investigation with the California Department of Public Health.” She also said that a communicable disease team has been set up at Marin schools to respond to a non-sex monkeypox outbreak via team sports.

Anyone who thinks they’ve been exposed to monkeypox may contact the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services at 415-473-4163.