With Pride Month Comes Monkeypox Cases - 10 New Cases in Past Two Weeks

June 17, 2024 - The Los County Department of Public Health announced today that 10 monkeypox (or mpox, as they prefer to call it) cases have been confirmed in the county in the past two weeks, an increase over less than two cases per week previously.

LAPride.org

Block party on Hollywood Boulevard celebrating Pride Month. Unlike Covid, this was not necessarily a super-spreader event.

Monkeypox arrived in this country two years ago, and the first case was seen in Los Angeles County in June of 2022. Previous to that year, it had been mostly confined to Africa. Symptoms include rash or unusual sores that look like pimples or blisters on the face, body and genitals, fever, chills, headache, muscle aches or swelling of lymph nodes. It is not spread through the air, like the flu or Covid, but through close contact with body fluids, sores, shared bedding or clothing or respiratory droplets (kissing, coughing, sneezing).

The county asks individuals who are experiencing symptoms to get tested. They also offer vaccinations (two doses are required) to "help reduce the risk" of getting or spreading mpox.

However, regarding the apparently obvious method of contracting the virus, our more knowledgeable overlords at the health department are loath to make strong recommendations. Regarding limitations on sexual activity, they only advise individuals to "Reduce the number of partners, especially those whose recent sexual history is unknown" and to "Limit going to sex parties, circuit parties and other spaces where people are having sex or other intimate contact with multiple people."

LAPride.org

Dodgers Pride Night

Multiple large events have already been held in the area to honor Pride Month, which celebrates homosexuality and transgenderism. WeHo Pride took place over the span of May 31-June 2, LA Pride Parade was June 9 in Hollywood, and Pride Night at Dodger Stadium was this past weekend. Simply attending such events will not transmit mpox, but potential extracurricular activities among attendees outside the events itself very well might have.