Monkeypox, first identified in 1958, is a rare disease caused by a virus related to the one that causes smallpox. The disease was first discovered in the research of colonies of monkeys. The virus is transmitted through close contact with an infected animal, material, or human and usually spreads through large respiratory droplets when transmitted between people. Some of the symptoms include usual illness signs such as fever, headache, muscle aches, and exhaustion. However, the swelling of the lymph nodes and a certain type of rash on the face is a clear distinction between a common illness and monkeypox.

Currently, 26 confirmed cases of monkeypox are in Canada and health officials warn there will likely be more cases reported in the coming days and weeks. However, doctors and experts say that if Canada works together to stop the outbreak, it will be less likely to spread. Many health officials are still trying to understand how monkeypox has been appearing in countries that don’t usually deal with monkeypox as well as how they are seeing cases where the patient has no travel history or association with any of the possible transmission factors. Canada is not the only country with outbreaks and countries such as the UK, USA, Australia, Israel, and Germany have all seen cases of monkeypox.

The big question everyone is wondering is will monkeypox end up like COVID-19? Monkeypox has raised caution for some and others, triggered memories of the early days of COVID-19. Fortunately, health experts say that monkeypox isn’t likely to have a similar impact to the coronavirus and cause a worldwide pandemic, mainly because it isn’t a new virus and doesn’t spread the same way as COVID-19. Lots of research already exists on monkeypox, including a vaccine. In contrast, COVID-19 was fairly new and much more deadly, with no vaccine existing.

The future of monkeypox is uncertain, but the best thing you can do is remain aware and follow the health guidelines.