Monkeypox On The Rise In Heterosexual Women

The Biden Administration declared the monkeypox virus a public health emergency on Thursday.

There are currently more than 6,000 cases nationwide with the numbers steadily increasing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In Georgia, there are currently more than 500 cases with four of those being women, the first of which was Camille Seaton.

“I’m in the healing stages. As you can see my face is starting to scab up,” Seaton said. “I saw bumps break out and I kid you not, in this same array and I just thought it was a breakout.”

Seaton said the breakout, headaches, chills, and fatigue didn’t go away.

She said she went to the emergency room and got tested.

“I waited on the results and it was positive. I had monkeypox,” Seaton said.

Infectious disease doctors say at this time those most affected by the virus are gay or bisexual men.

But doctors are reiterating that anyone can contract the virus through close contact.

Seaton is a cashier and believes she likely caught monkeypox at work.

“I just want y’all to know that I did not do anything sexual to contract this disease. This thing is spreading. It’s here,” Seaton said.

Washington spoke with Dr. Jayne Morgan, executive director of the COVID-19 Task Force for Piedmont Healthcare Corporation, and asked her how transmissible the virus is and what people can do other than getting the vaccine, to prevent the spread of monkeypox.

“You can get it from sharing towels and sharing linens if the person who used the towel or slept in that bed is infected with the monkeypox virus,” Morgan said. “The normal cleaning and disinfecting processes should be maintained.”

Seaton said she hopes anyone who hears her story will take the virus seriously.

“These scars will fade, but you will forever notice,” Seaton said.

Seaton is still in isolation and out of work.