A man who contracted mpox, previously known as monkeypox, has warned others to be vigilant of a particular symptom that becomes more prominent at night.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared mpox an international emergency following a surge in cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and other African countries. This classification was also applied to the 2022 outbreak of mpox in Europe, as well as to Covid-19 and Ebola outbreaks.
A man who contracted the disease in 2022 has been sharing his experience on TikTok, highlighting one symptom that disrupted his sleep more than the rash associated with it.
Josh, a US flight attendant, was diagnosed with mpox in Florida after discovering a few bumps on his chest. After undergoing blood and urine tests at the hospital, he was sent back to his hotel to rest.
He was later informed he had mpox and was required to quarantine in his hotel room for three weeks.
When asked about any discomfort, Josh revealed that one of the most challenging aspects was trying to sleep at night due to regular headaches caused by several bumps inside his ears and over his scalp.
He said: “The most pain I had was in the first three days. It was intense because I had it on my face, but mostly in my ears and the back of my head.
“Sleeping at night was bad, it was giving me massive headaches because it was just intense in my ear. The rest of the bumps just felt sore, like a sore pimple. That was the extent of the pain. But the headaches at night that it was giving me were bad.”
He also mentioned how the bumps were extremely itchy, yet he resisted scratching them as he knew it would exacerbate the situation.
Josh gave an update more recently in which he disclosed that he still bears scars from the ordeal, including some on his face and others across his body. He has sought skincare treatments to mitigate the facial scarring, but noted the body scars are “way worse” and resemble “white dots”.
The NHS says that mpox symptoms typically manifest between five and 21 days post-infection, and can include a high temperature, headache, muscle aches, shivering, exhaustion, and joint pain. A rash usually develops one to five days after initial symptoms, starting on the face then spreading elsewhere.
Mpox transmission occurs through close contact with an infected person’s blisters, including sexual contact, kissing, or hand-holding, as well as touching items such as clothing, bedding, or towels used by someone with mpox, or via coughs and sneezes from an infected individual.
In the UK, the danger of contracting mpox remains minimal and the NHS emphasises that “only a small number of people” have been afflicted by the illness.
It has been observed that a significant proportion of the reported cases are among gay and bisexual men, and other men who have sex with men. Therefore, if you belong to these groups, being vigilant for symptoms is exceedingly important.
For additional information on mpox, visit the NHS website.