Can monkeypox be 'tested at home' like the new corona?



In response to the rapid spread of

monkeypox in Europe and the United States, the WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern on July 23, 2022, and the United States A state of emergency was declared on August 4th. In Japan, the first case of domestic infection was reported on August 5, and a fourth case of infection was reported on August 10, showing signs of an epidemic. Experts are cautious about whether it can be tested with a simple test kit.

Monkeypox can't use the same at-home testing playbook as COVID-19 - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2022/8/4/23292267/monkeypox-home-testing-saliva-lesions-covid



In the early days of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) pandemic, inadequate testing systems became a problem in many countries. This is because if infected people could be identified accurately and quickly, the rapid spread of infection could have been suppressed. Reflecting on this, a lot of research funds have been invested in testing for new coronavirus infections. .

Based on the lessons of the new coronavirus infection, there are calls for the rapid development of a test kit for monkeypox, whose spread is becoming unstoppable. However, Professor Ben Pinsky, who is in charge of the rapid test system at Stanford Healthcare, warned that ``the new coronavirus infection and monkeypox are completely different infectious diseases.''

Specifically, there are differences in how samples are collected for testing. Since the new coronavirus infection is a respiratory disease, samples for testing

can be collected by inserting a cotton swab called a swab into the nose. On the other hand, when testing for monkeypox, whose main symptoms are blisters on the face and limbs, it is necessary to collect body tissue such as fluid from the blisters and scabs, that is, the affected area.



This type of test can be difficult and painful, Pinsky said, so there are no home test kits for

herpes , which presents with similar symptoms.

In addition, the fact that the lesion is necessary for the test means that the test cannot be performed until symptoms appear. In the case of the new coronavirus infection, it is possible to test regardless of the presence or absence of symptoms, but for monkeypox, it is not possible to test a person who has no boils but has a fever. 'I'm a big proponent of home testing for monkeypox, but we're not quite there yet because we need the right sample at the right time,' said Paul Yeager, a professor of bioengineering at the University of Washington. I'm talking to

There is also good news for those hoping for home test kits. According to a small study of 12 young men who had sex with men, conducted in June 2022, it may be possible to test monkeypox from saliva and semen. In addition, medical venture Flow Health has already announced a PCR test that can be tested simply by putting saliva in a tube. However, the test is not yet cleared or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Flow Health is sharing saliva test data with the FDA, which stands by its stance that 'monkeypox testing should be done in lesions,' said the company's CEO Alex Meshkin. However, there is still a lack of solid research data to determine whether and when signs of monkeypox virus or monkeypox infection appear in saliva.



In the United States, where the number of people infected with monkeypox confirmed as of August 8, 2022 has reached 8934, there is also a problem that laboratory technicians refuse to take blood due to prejudice against monkeypox patients.

In addition, the number of deaths from the new coronavirus infection in the country has exceeded 1 million, more than twice the number of Americans who lost their lives in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Regarding the spread of new infectious diseases, The Verge said, ``Unlike the new coronavirus infection, monkeypox is a known disease, and methods for testing and treatment have been established, and there is a vaccine. Despite this, the fact that we are so slow to respond means that we have learned almost nothing in the last two years.'

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