It began as an odd-looking pimple, or perhaps as a weird rash, or maybe as a sudden wave of fatigue in the middle of a hot summer day.
The doctor was stumped, or said it was not a big deal, or — just maybe — identified it right away: monkeypox. New York City has been the epicenter of an outbreak of an old disease that has created new havoc.
More than 18,000 cases have been identified across the United States, as of the end of August, and nearly 3,000 of them have been found in the city, mostly among men who have sex with men.
Increased access to an effective antiviral medication called tecovirimat, or Tpoxx, and an effort to vaccinate thousands of people most at risk have led to eased symptoms for some.