Experts say gyms, public transit are 'low risk' settings for monkeypox

(Image credit: Getty/David Talukdar)

published 23 August 2022

Researchers are sounding the alarm after health officials announced that monkeypox has now been "detected in all 50 states," ABC News writes, confirming that Wyoming was the "final state to report a case of the disease."

The Wyoming Health Department's Dr. Alexia Harrist clarified how the disease circulates, explaining that it's unlike most "familiar viruses such as influenza or COVID-19." She said "[b]ecause monkeypox spreads through close, intimate contact we do not believe the risk for the virus is now a higher concern for the local community or for most people in Wyoming."

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The chances of someone being infected with monkeypox "outside of a sexual context is extremely low," Insider says. In the early days of the outbreak, the CDC noted that a majority of the cases "occurred in men who have had close sexual or intimate contact" with other men. However, Insider asked experts about other ways the virus could be transmitted — they explained that the gym, restaurant dining, and public transportation are "low risk" settings.

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Kelsee Majette has worked as a social media editor at The Week since 2022. In 2019, she got her start in local television as a digital producer and fill-in weather reporter at NTV News. Kelsee also co-produced a lifestyle talk show while working in Nebraska and later transitioned to 13News Now as a digital content producer.

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