Monkeypox Virtual Town Hall Meeting Planned For Aug. 22 In Montgomery County

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — A virtual town hall meeting focusing on monkeypox and the LGBTQ+ community will be held Aug. 22 starting at 6 p.m.

Panelists in the town hall will include Acting County Health Officer James Bridgers; Council Vice President Evan Glass; the county’s LGBTQ+ Community Liaison Amena Johnson; infectious disease specialist Jessica Rosen, a physician with the county’s department of health and human Services; and DHHS Director Raymond Crowel.

The panelists will provide an update on the current monkeypox situation in Montgomery County and Maryland, as well as share information on the county’s monkeypox vaccine program and answer questions about prevention and treatment.

The virtual town hall will be hosted on Zoom and will be streamed live on the county’s Facebook page. It also will be simulcast on County Cable Montgomery -- Comcast and RCN Channel 6 and HD 996 and 1056, respectively—and Channel 30 on Verizon. A recording of the event will be posted on the county’s monkeypox website following the town hall.

Registration for the Zoom meeting is required. Questions can be submitted anonymously prior to the meeting. There also will be an opportunity to ask questions virtually at the meeting.
Register for the meeting at https://bit.ly/3QkxfvS.

Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. Monkeypox can infect animals, such as monkeys and rodents, as well as humans. The monkeypox virus belongs to the same group of viruses that cause smallpox and is not related to chicken pox.

Monkeypox is spread by:

• Direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs or body fluids,
• Respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling or intercourse,
• Touching items that previously touched the infectious rash or body fluids (such as clothing or linens),
• Pregnant people can spread the virus to their fetus through the placenta,
• It is possible for people to get monkeypox from infected animals, either by being scratched or bitten by the animal or by preparing or eating meat or using products from an infected animal,
• Can be spread from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed. The illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks. People who do not have monkeypox symptoms cannot spread the virus to others.

Signs and symptoms of monkeypox include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Muscle aches and backache
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Chills
• Exhaustion
• A rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on face, inside the mouth, and other parts of the body, like hands, feet, chest or private areas of the body.
  • Rash goes through different stages before healing completely and illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks.