Infectious disease again? Fear revived by first confirmation of monkeypox in Korea = Korean coverage

Fear is spreading again in the news that a patient with "monkeypox", a viral disease that is currently spreading all over the world, has been confirmed for the first time in Korea. We have already experienced confusion and stagnation due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic for the past 2 years, and we are anxious about the unknown virus. False information that monkeypox is transmitted through homosexuality is spreading mainly in the Internet community, and there is concern that aversion to homosexuality will be promoted.

The news of the influx of monkeypox into South Korea, such as "outdoor no mask" when the COVID-19 virus is transitioning to an epidemic, is unwelcome. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the case fatality rate of monkeypox these days is 3 to 6%, which is not a negligible figure. A, an office worker in his 30s, said, "The COVID-19 virus outbreak is settling down, but even though there are still thousands of infected people a day, we now have monkeypox. It seems that the world will be widespread with several virus." Housewife B in her 40s said, "I was wondering if I could get back to before the COVID-19 epidemic by releasing the social distance, but another infectious disease would be prevalent. I'm worried if I have to inoculate it."

Monkeypox, which is widespread all over the world, is also atrophying the psychology of travel. The first person infected with monkeypox in Japan is a Korean who arrived from Germany on June 21st. As a result, people planning to travel to Europe canceled a series of reserved flights. Kim (48), who runs a cram school, said, "I had booked a flight to Germany in business class before the mileage expired at the end of the year, but recently it spread to monkeypox in addition to the COVID-19 virus. I was so worried about the news that I was doing it, so I canceled it."

Concerns about epidemic prevention have also been raised. A foreigner suspected of being infected on June 21st was given a negative test, but he declared that he had no symptoms at the airport quarantine, even though he had symptoms of suspected infection at the time of entry. One day after entering the country, he was quarantined after coming to the hospital, and there were concerns about the possibility of interpersonal contact during that time, and the problem of "gap in quarantine" became clear.

Increasing coverage of monkeypox has heightened public fear. Lee (26), a college student, said, "The COVID-19 virus had no visible symptoms, but monkeypox looks like a swelling. There are videos and photos of humps spreading all over the skin, which is very horrifying", he said. "I feel I have to be very careful."

Experts are concerned that the cause of monkeypox and the psychology of trying to blame the infected person for the spread of the infection may lead to repeated promotion of discrimination and aversion as in the case of the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

In fact, the COVID-19 virus has caused "disgust transmission" everywhere, including race, religion, and sexual minorities. A typical example is an outbreak in a club in Itaewon in early May 2020. News that a person infected with the COVID-19 virus was visiting a famous gay club in Itaewon was reported, and a sexual minority was hit by a barrage of fire.

Such signs can also be seen in monkeypox. Already, the online community is once again spreading the aversion to individual sexual orientation, such as "monkeypox spread by sexual relationships between the same sex." They cite references such as the WHO said that "monkeypox is not a venereal disease, but the number of cases of infection is increasing rapidly, mainly through homosexuality between men," and the UK Health and Safety Agency (UKHSA) said "the recommendation to vaccinate homosexual and bisexual men at high risk of contracting monkeypox" as the basis for their decision. However, one member of a sexual minority group said, "It doesn't really matter to them why the infection happened or what preventive measures are, but who the responsibility is passed on."

Professor Kim Woo Joo of the Department of Infectious Diseases, Kuro Hospital, Koryo University said, "The risk of infectious diseases is determined by infectivity and mortality. "If more people are infected and people with low immunity are infected, they can become more severe and die," he said. "If discrimination against infected people spreads, those who develop the disease will be hidden and out of control."