State Colleges Borrowing Lessons From COVID to Deal With Monkeypox

Friday, August 19th, 2022 -- 11:00 AM

(By Jenny Peek, Wisconsin Public Radio) -College campuses are borrowing from lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic to tackle another communicable disease: monkeypox.

According to Jenny Peek with the Wisconsin Public Radio, a growing outbreak of the rare but potentially serious disease prompted the White House to declare monkeypox a public health emergency on Aug. 4, less than a month before colleges across the state welcome students back to campus.

A study published late last month in the New England Journal of Medicine found that about 95 percent of cases across 16 countries in the current outbreak had been transmitted through sexual and intimate contact, and that the disease had spread predominantly among gay and bisexual men.

But that's not the only way monkeypox can be transmitted. Living in close quarters like dorms, co-ops, fraternities and sororities can also increase the chances for monkeypox to spread.

So can participating in sports, theater or other activities that create opportunities for close contact. In response, universities are making sure students have the information they need to minimize risk.

Jake Baggott, executive director of University Health Services, said the University of Wisconsin-Madison is already offering testing and vaccination to eligible populations, and will continue to get information about the disease to students through a variety of channels.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.