Monkeypox and COVID: Staying safe during Pride
ebar.comMore than two years into the pandemic, people are ready to party, but COVID-19 is still with us, and the emergence of monkeypox among gay and bisexual men presents a new health threat.
Health officials don't advise canceling events or closing venues, but taking basic precautions can help maximize fun while minimizing risk."Coming out of the pandemic, people want to celebrate, and I think they can," Dr.
Andrea Tenner of the San Francisco Department of Public Health told the Bay Area Reporter. "The risk [of monkeypox] to the general public is low — it's really more about gauging your risk as an individual and trying to modify risk behaviors."COVID isn't overCOVID cases in San Francisco are at a relatively high but seemingly stable level after the largest-ever peak in January, attributable to highly transmissible omicron coronavirus variants.
After rising steeply in April, cases numbers and hospitalizations have plateaued since mid-May.Intensive care admissions and deaths are currently low, which experts attribute to the city's high vaccination rate and the availability of the antiviral medication Paxlovid.
