Potential Disaster of Mpox and Mask Bans Makes the News
Forbes medical contributor interviews MaskTogetherAmerica Advisor Dr. Angelique Corthals about the dangers of mpox and mask bans
Dr. Judy Stone, infectious disease MD and medical contributor to Forbes, spoke to MaskTogetherAmerica Advisor Dr. Angelique Corthals for her article “Mpox And Mask Bans - A Recipe For Disaster”. Dr. Stone explained that a new, fast-spreading type of mpox (clade1) can kill up to 10% of infected people. Over 70% of cases and 85% of deaths are children under 15, suggesting clade1 may be airborne as well as spread through respiratory droplets or very close contact. On August 14, WHO declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern.
Dr. Corthals, COVID expert and associate professor at CUNY, told Forbes that since clade 1 is more virulent and infectious, we need to use non-pharmacologic interventions (NPIs), like masks, to reduce the spread. Dr. Corthals stressed “that no mode of transmission be dismissed” by implying it’s only through sexual contacts or only skin to skin because Mpox may turn out to spread in multiple ways.
At recent hearings, Dr. Corthals warned Nassau County (NY) legislators about the ongoing spread of COVID and new pandemics from avian flu and mpox, but the county’s ban on mask use in public and private spaces was signed into local law on August 14. Dr. Corthals said mask bans are “robbing us of the main tool to prevent not just this pathogen, but also novel pathogens that are coming our way thanks to climate change.”
Dr. Stone’s piece highlights reasons why all infectious disease experts – and everyone else – should help Stop Mask Bans! See our Action Toolkit to speak up and stay informed! Our toolkit has ways to fight back and get involved, including open letters to sign, ways to contact government officials, and more!
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