Spread of monkeypox: Should Pakistan be worried?

With the loss of life, wealth, and health that COVID-19 brought, the world is certainly not ready for another outbreak. While it is true that the coronavirus terrified the entire planet, it would not be wrong to say that it taught us many lessons.

Humans not only learned more about their inherent resilience but they also learned practical ways of dealing with natural catastrophes.

One of the important lessons that people learned was to seek knowledge and debunk myths and conspiracy theories surrounding viral outbreaks. Secondly, people also discovered the importance of listening to public health and medical professionals to keep themselves safe.

With a new virus — the monkeypox — terrifying the world, it has become crucial to recall these lessons. Therefore, Geo.tv reached out to the public to know about their beliefs and whether they would vaccinate themselves if the virus breaks out in Pakistan.

We then approached Dr Faisal Mahmood, associate professor of infectious diseases at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), to check the accuracy of the public’s beliefs and asked him: Should Pakistan be scared?