By: Ishtiyaq Kar
Srinagar, August 23 (KINS): Prof. Sanjay Rai from the Department of Community Medicine at AIIMS New Delhi has reassured the public that there is no need for panic over the monkeypox virus, or M-pox, emphasizing that the virus is not new and does not carry the same infectious risks as COVID-19.
Speaking on the sidelines of the “Kashmir Science Vision-2024” event—an academic conference held at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKAUST) in collaboration with Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS)—Prof. Rai sought to ease growing concerns about the virus.
“The monkeypox virus is not new to us,” Prof. Rai said. “We have known this virus for the last 50 years. It was first identified in a young boy in 1970, and since then, we have gained a considerable understanding of its behavior. It is not infectious like COVID-19, and the evidence we have generated so far shows that there is no cause for alarm,” Rai said as per news agency KINS.
Reinforcing his point, Prof. Rai added, “Based on what we know, it seems likely that people will forget about this within a month. It appears highly unlikely that monkeypox will create a pandemic, so there is no need for panic.”
The event, which brought together scholars and experts from diverse fields, served as a platform for discussing critical issues in health and science.
Prof. Rai’s remarks on monkeypox were particularly timely, given the recent uptick in public concern. However, his expert analysis reassured public that the virus remains well-understood and contained.(KINS)
