Idaho’s Latest Monkeypox Numbers – Should We Be Worried?

For now, it feels like people around the country aren't really worried about the recent monkeypox outbreak. Should we be?

At the beginning of August, President Biden declared monkeypox a public health emergency. Since then, a confirmed case (or more) have been reported in all 50 states. Including Idaho.

We don't need to tell you how dangerous monkeypox is, but how at risk are you if you live in the Gem State? Our numbers are actually not too bad compared to the rest of the country. Let's take a look at some statictics:

• In the past seven days, only two new cases of monkeypox has been discovered in Idaho
• Per million people in Idaho, there are only 5.8 cases on average

How do those numbers hold up for the U.S. as a whole?

• 1,848 new cases have been discovered nationwide in the past seven days
• There are 5.5 cases (on average) per million Americans

The states with the worst monkeypox numbers are Washington D.C., New York, and Georgia. South Dakota, Kansas, and Wyoming have the lowest number of monkeypox cases currently.

Should we be worried? Possibly. Per the CDC, there are numerous ways for monkeypox to be spread:

• Direct contact with monkeypox rash, scabs, or body fluids from a person with monkeypox.
• Touching objects, fabrics (clothing, bedding, or towels), and surfaces that have been used by someone with monkeypox.
• Contact with respiratory secretions.

This direct contact can happen during intimate contact, including:

• Oral, anal, and vaginal sex or touching the genitals (penis, testicles, labia, and vagina) or anus (butthole) of a person with monkeypox.
• Hugging, massage, and kissing.
• Prolonged face-to-face contact.
• Touching fabrics and objects during sex that were used by a person with monkeypox and that have not been disinfected, such as bedding, towels, fetish gear, and sex toys.

Let's use caution out there Idaho. We definitely don't want to be stuck inside during another pandemic.