There have been 12 Monkeypox cases identified in Westchester as of July 15, Westchester County Executive George Latimer confirmed at a news conference at the County Office Building in White Plains this morning. Latimer and Westchester County Commissioner of Health Dr. Sherlita Amler both emphasized that Monkeypox is different from Covid-19 in that it is not spread through the air and requires direct skin to skin contact to be transmitted from one person to another. Alternatively, it can be transmitted through mutual contact with an object.
As of July 14, there were 414 confirmed cases of the disease reported in New York state, with 389 in New York City. Rockland County had one case while Sullivan County also had a case.
Latimer said that statistics supplied to the county indicate that there were 1,470 cases of Monkeypox confirmed nationwide.
“It”™s important to understand that of all those cases there have been no fatalities nationwide,” Latimer said. “When we dealt with Covid we dealt with an illness that did trigger fatalities. We believe that those identified as of today as having the disease will recover. It is a painful disease but it is not a fatal disease.”
Amler said that people do not need to wear a mask to avoid being infected by Monkeypox.
“Monkeypox really spreads less easily than Covid and, in fact, it was discovered about 50 years ago and as you know we”™ve had almost no spread of Monkeypox in the last 50 years and in general the cases were mostly confined to the continent of Africa,” Amler said. “It”™s really a disease where its primary transmission is skin to skin.”
Amler said that although people can have a fever with Monkeypox, the symptoms include intense headache, swelling of the lymph nodes, muscle aches and an unusual rash that can blister and crust over.
Amler said that Monkeypox testing is done by running a swab across the skin rash, unlike Covid where a swab is used to take samples from nasal passages.
“With Monkeypox, the vaccine we”™re using here in New York is called JYNNEOS and it is FDA approved,” Amler said. “It is not approved for anyone less than 18 years of age. If you have an exposure to Monkeypox and you get the vaccine within four to 14 days after your exposure you may potentially prevent the disease or if you have the disease the symptoms may be less severe.”
Amler emphasized that people do not need to be alarmed about Monkeypox but do need to understand what the disease is, how it is spread and what to do if they become exposed to it.
Latimer said that the county has received a limited supply of Monkeypox vaccine from New York state, with enough for 450 patients already received and vaccines for another 520 people expected to be provided in a few days. Latimer noted that the protocol requires two doses to be given.
Latimer said that the vaccine doses already received have been distributed to Westchester Medical Center, St. John”™s Riverside Hospital in Yonkers and Open Door Family Medical Center. He said that 50 doses were reserved for the Westchester County Department of Health. Latimer said that when the second supply of vaccine arrives the county expects to offer vaccination appointments at the county”™s health clinic at 134 Court St. in White Plains.
Latimer said that a conference call was scheduled for later in the day on July 15 to discuss the Monkeypox situation with leaders of The LOFT and other LBGTQ+ groups in the county. A concentration of early cases of the disease was noted within the LBGTQ+ community.
“We want to try to as best we can address the need as it manifests itself,” Latimer said. “We know that when dealing with a health issue things change.”
