There are still many question marks regarding monkeypox: how exactly do you contract it, how dangerous can the virus be, how does an infection feel? On Twitter, a man goes public with his infection – and in detail.
According to the Robert Koch Institute, 263 cases of monkeypox have been registered in Germany so far. The first infected person is now negative once more – but how exactly such an infection actually works and what it means for those affected is little publicly known. This is also due to the stigma associated with the infectious disease.
A self-affected man has now taken the initiative on Twitter. Alexander Winter went public with his infection and describes his experiences in detail. He wants to raise awareness – and fight the stigma.
Important: He only reports on his own experiences, he is not a researcher or scientist. He describes his symptoms: initially a harmless cough that gradually became more and more unpleasant, then the first smallpox appeared. This was accompanied by extreme body aches, fluctuating fever up to 40 degrees, headaches and severe itching in the affected areas. His suspicion, apparently supported by internet search results: syphilis.
Great resemblance of syphilis and monkeypox
Because the smallpox would have looked different than previously shown in media reports, the pictures there would have little in common with his own experiences. The problem: Monkeypox and syphilis share a close resemblance in their symptoms, he writes. His family doctor, who had already treated another patient with monkeypox, finally suspected monkeypox.
With his report on Twitter, Winter not only wants to provide information and offer other affected people a comparison or a frame of reference. It is also regarding the stigma towards the disease.
Strong stigma attached to monkeypox since it first spread
Since the beginning of its global spread, the monkeypox virus has been fraught with prejudice. The UN organization UNAIDS had some reports and comments on cases of infection in May criticized as homophobic and racist. Most of the known cases have occurred in men who have sex with men. However, the risk of transmission is not linked to sex, but simply to close physical contact.
Queer Commissioner of the Federal Government, Sven Lehmann (Greens), also warned in May of stigmatizing gays, dealing with the virus reminds him of the beginning of the AIDS crisis. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the name itself has also repeatedly come under criticism for suggesting an origin in Africa. She wants the monkeypox now give a new name.
No connection between sexuality and infection
Alexander Winter writes on Twitter that yes, he is gay. But: “I am the only man in my (sexual) circle who has been proven to be monkeypox.”
That is the main reason why he is going public with his case: his sexuality is not directly connected to the infection. He wants to speak openly and directly regarding the disease in the hope of broadening the view of monkeypox – away from the stigma.