New figures have revealed the number of confirmed monkeypox cases in Cumbria since the beginning of the outbreak.
Data for upper-tier local authorities was published by the UK Health Security Agency for the first time yesterday and revealed there had been fewer than five cases in Cumbria.
Colin Cox, Cumbria’s director of public health, said: “The general public advice is that monkeypox is quite difficult to spread between people, so this is not like COVID, and it’s not going to become like COVID, so the vast majority probably don’t really need to worry about monkeypox at the moment.”
Mr Cox said a rash was a ‘key’ symptom and that before that people tended to get cold and flu symptoms ‘which aren’t helpful in identifying monkeypox’.
Mr Cox added: “It’s a bit like a chicken pox sort of rash.”
The majority of cases are in gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. “People who are within these groups need to be aware of the symptoms,” said Mr Cox.
There were 161 cases in the North West and 2,883 in England.
Figures between zero and five have been presented as ‘less than five’ to prevent ‘deductive disclosure’. Lancashire has seen 12 cases of the virus and North Yorkshire less than five.
According to the NHS, monkeypox can be spread between people via:
- Close physical contact with monkeypox blisters or scabs – including during sexual contact, kissing, cuddling or holding hands
- Touching clothing, bedding or towels used by someone with monkeypox
- The coughs or sneezes of a person with monkeypox who is in close proximity
The NHS says the first symptoms of monkeypox include:
- High temperature
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Backache
- Swollen glands
- Shivering
- Exhaustion
- Joint pain
