Residents in New York and Virginia shared their level of concern over monkeypox after the World Health Organization declared the virus a global health emergency.
"Sometimes I feel like there's a lot of fearmongering going on," Charity, from Virginia, told Fox News. "They're trying to make us scared."
But another Virginian, Letitia, said monkeypox is "definitely something to be concerned about."
"If you touch someone whose got monkeypox and they have like a rash or a scab, it can be transmitted that way, or you touch maybe something that they touched it can be transmitted that way," Letitia said. "That’s scary."
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Letitia, from Virginia, says there is definitely cause to be concerned about the monkeypox virus. (Jon Michael Raasch/Fox News Digital)
Cases in the U.S. have grown to over 3,500 – with the majority in New York – since the first case was confirmed in May, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Monkeypox, similar to smallpox, causes a puss-filled rash, fever and aches. Children and people with immune deficiencies tend to face more severe cases.
"The fact that [the WHO] did declare that level of critical mass is very scary," Greg, from Virginia, said. "I'm waiting for how we need to better prepare for this and if it's time for masks again."
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Test tubes labeled "Monkeypox virus positive and negative" are seen in this illustration taken May 23, 2022. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo)
Charity, from Virginia told Fox News: "I got COVID-19, and I was like I’m really probably gonna die because of how they made it seem."
"When I had COVID-19, it wasn’t really that bad, so it’s probably the same situation," she continued.
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The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than one million people in the U.S. since January 2020, according to the WHO.
Charity, from Virginia, says there was a lot of fearmongering around COVID-19. (Jon Michael Raasch/Fox News Digital)
Layla – born with comorbidities – said she is only moderately concerned about contracting monkeypox, but people should respect those in fear.
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"I do want to take it seriously," Layla said. "But seeing how I first heard about it two months ago and it didn’t ramp up in the same way that COVID-19 did, I’m not going to say that I’m going to avoid going everywhere and just stay shut in my house because of it."
A New Yorker said she doesn't "have a lot of energy left to be worried" after enduring more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I mean I wouldn't want to get it, but I'm not doing anything to not get it," she said.
Megan Myers reported from New York City and Jon Michael Raasch reported from Alexandria, Virginia.
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