Patients become infected with COVID-19 and monkey pox simultaneously. How mileage?

The sixth wave of the COVID-19 epidemic is currently underway in Poland. At the same time, further infections with monkey pox are also recorded in our country. To make matters worse, there are also cases of co-infections when patients are attacked by both of these pathogens. What do we know about their symptoms and condition? In an interview with PAP, Prof. Agnieszka Szuster-Ciesielska, virologist.

1. Monkey pox is a zoonotic disease with epidemic potential
2. The appearance of its subsequent outbreaks coincided with subsequent waves of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic
3. The fact that both pathogens are infected simultaneously should not come as a surprise
4. More current information can be found on the Onet homepage.

Co-infection with COVID-19 and monkey pox. There have been such cases before

Co-infection is when there is an infection with at least two viruses. As noted by prof. Agnieszka Szuster-Ciesielska, virologist from the Department of Virology and Immunology at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, “there are cases of monkey pox and COVID-19 co-infections, but no overlap of disease symptoms has been observed so far”. “There has never been a case where a patient with both viruses suffered more than a patient diagnosed with one virus,” she emphasized.

In her opinion, the situation is different when the human body is infected with two hepatotropic viruses. «These are viruses that specialize in infecting liver cells, including HBV and HCV. Then these symptoms overlap and the course of the disease is more severe, because we have at least two viruses that attack the liver »- she said.

Mandatory isolation for monkey pox patients

Prof. Szuster-Ciesielska referred to the draft amendment to the ordinance of the Minister of Health, according to which persons infected and suffering from monkey pox, as well as suspected of being infected or contracted with this disease, will be subject to the obligation of isolation at home. She stressed that such a home quarantine was important. «We observe that in the case of monkey pox, there was an evolutionary acceleration in the variability of this virus. Within 4 years, as many as 50 mutations have been recorded, and usually DNA viruses, such as monkey pox or smallpox virus, have so far changed at the rate of one mutation per year »- she noted.

In her opinion, earlier these were incidental infections, mainly transmission of the virus from animals to humans. «At the moment, we have over 30 people in the world. infections, which makes it safe to say that the virus has adapted quite well. Fortunately, the path of infection is not as expansive as in the case of the coronavirus »- concluded Prof. Szuster – Ciesielska.

In Poland, about 200 cases of infection with monkey pox have been confirmed so far. The most common symptoms of monkey pox include high fever (39-40 degrees C), enlarged lymph nodes, malaise, weakness, headache, back pain, skin changes, rash.

Author: Agnieszka Gorczyca