Musings on Monkeypox, COVID, and other bugs

[Tom C. Sinclair]

You know what we haven’t heard about in a while? Monkeypox. It just sort of disappeared. I hadn’t been vaccinated against smallpox so I wasn’t immune. I jumped on the monkeypox vaccine wagon as soon as I could though. Glad I did. I support modern medicine. Wonder if you go in if you can get the monkeypox vaccine now as easily as I did. Wonder too what the next hyped up disease will be. That’s why I didn’t take COVID seriously at first when it came on the news. There’s always a scary disease floating about. How are we supposed to know if this one will be a big one. No one saw COVID coming but now because of it every little bug is viewed as a life-altering superkiller. 

[+ SirBillybob]

I think there’s a thread or two on Mpox. 

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

3 hours ago, Tom C. Sinclair said:

You know what we haven’t heard about in a while? Monkeypox. It just sort of disappeared.

There was an uptick in Monkeypox in Montreal, Canada, last month. 

Six new cases of mpox in Quebec: public health warns of a resurgence

MONTREAL.CITYNEWS.CA

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Six new cases of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, have been identified in Quebec in the past two...

 

 

[+ ApexNomad]

Mods are already putting on their hazmat suits with this thread. Let’s see how long this lasts.

[+ SirBillybob]

2 hours ago, Vegas_Millennial said:

There was an uptick in Monkeypox in Montreal, Canada, last month. 

Six new cases of mpox in Quebec: public health warns of a resurgence

MONTREAL.CITYNEWS.CA

---

Six new cases of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, have been identified in Quebec in the past two...

 

 

Already discussed up forum Men’s Health.

Up for blame are the hen party interlopers at the Village strip clubs.

Edited Wednesday at 06:34 PM by SirBillybob

[+ SirBillybob]

2 hours ago, ApexNomad said:

Mods are already putting on their hazmat suits with this thread. Let’s see how long this lasts.

Ours? … the hazardous materials bespoke fashion “threads” formerly known as hazmat? 

Edited Wednesday at 06:34 PM by SirBillybob

[mike carey]

As others have mentioned, there's been a consistent drum of reports on mpox, in this forum and in the press, in both Canada and Australia that I've seen, it's just not a headline issue any more. Australian health authorities are still saying that it's still a thing and people in the higher risk groups need to be aware of it. My last STI check at the ACT Government sexual health clinic, the doctor raised it and said I should seriously consider the vaccination. Publicity these days is in channels where it will be seen by the people who need to be aware of it, and that's not everyone, it's mostly MSM and their sexual partners.

[+ SirBillybob]

Canada‘s general population Mpox case incidence rate in 2025 so far is 2.2 times that of the United States and reflects about 1 in 13,000 MSM, almost one dot within the attached denominator image.

The difference is statistically significant and likely partly attributable to how case hotspots are distributed. Canada likely has very few transmission clusters geographically whereas in the United States cases are probably more broadly dispersed among a greater number of smaller transmission clusters.

Edited Thursday at 03:35 PM by SirBillybob

[Thomas_Belgium]

On 8/13/2025 at 2:53 PM, Tom C. Sinclair said:

You know what we haven’t heard about in a while? Monkeypox...

 

What news channels do you listen to? Because I read several articles about it this month.

[Tom C. Sinclair]

I don’t pay attention to Canada news (apart from the trade war) and Australia is largely off my radar. My personal experience has been none in the past several months. Anecdotally. That’s all.

Why hazmat suits? What could possibly be controversial here?

[+ ApexNomad]

1 hour ago, Tom C. Sinclair said:

Why hazmat suits? What could possibly be controversial here?

If you run a search on these topics (COVID, vaccines, etc.), you will find similar threads with interesting discussions.

[+ SirBillybob]

2 hours ago, ApexNomad said:

If you run a search on these topics (COVID, vaccines, etc.), you will find similar threads with interesting discussions.

Edited 10 hours ago by SirBillybob

[Tom C. Sinclair]

@ApexNomad– An unscientific observation I’m making in my very short experience here as a member is there seems to be an anaphylactic response to broaching a topic more than once. Some guys seem more concerned about pointing out that a topic has been discussed before than actually discussing the topic.

Apologies for causing annoyance. It demotivates me from wanting to contribute if people are going to so strictly police. I thought joining would be fun. In the past week I have been told, effectively, what I posted about was discussed before, suggesting I shouldn’t have posted or there was nothing else to say. I don’t want to cause frustration and I don’t like getting called out. The solution to that is for me to withdraw. Again, apologies for running afoul. 

[+ ApexNomad]

18 minutes ago, Tom C. Sinclair said:

@ApexNomad– An unscientific observation I’m making in my very short experience here as a member is there seems to be an anaphylactic response to broaching a topic more than once. Some guys seem more concerned about pointing out that a topic has been discussed before than actually discussing the topic.

Apologies for causing annoyance. It demotivates me from wanting to contribute if people are going to so strictly police. I thought joining would be fun. In the past week I have been told, effectively, what I posted about was discussed before, suggesting I shouldn’t have posted or there was nothing else to say. I don’t want to cause frustration and I don’t like getting called out. The solution to that is for me to withdraw. Again, apologies for running afoul. 

I’m newer to the forum myself, and I personally couldn’t care less if you post a topic that’s been discussed before. As you pointed out, others will sometimes chime in about that.

My comment about the “hazmat suit” was just a lighthearted joke. Based on similar threads I’ve read, I thought this one might spark some lively discussion, like others that have ended up closed.

The moderators will decide what’s appropriate here, not me.

If my joke came across as annoyance, I’m sorry, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

[+ SirBillybob]

1 hour ago, Tom C. Sinclair said:

Some guys seem more concerned about pointing out that a topic has been discussed before than actually discussing the topic.

Apologies for causing annoyance. It demotivates me from wanting to contribute if people are going to so strictly police. I thought joining would be fun. In the past week I have been told, effectively, what I posted about was discussed before, suggesting I shouldn’t have posted or there was nothing else to say. I don’t want to cause frustration and I don’t like getting called out. The solution to that is for me to withdraw. Again, apologies for running afoul. 

In some 7 years I haven’t experienced what you describe as happening to you on the board. You certainly don’t need to apologize for anything. I think it may be partly an artefact of there being enthusiastic long term lifers here with the desire to point out relevant archival material for context. If you feel criticized that may have sometimes been the endgame but you can ignore it. Much of the content is GroundhogDay-grade, so you aren’t being centered out. Bring up fees and you are a star.

That said, an opener that reflects musings may get less discussion traction. Frankly, it came across, however unintentionally, as an entry that might prompt ‘been there done that’ among the rank and file, given the large volume of past related material and the dearth of new material on Mpox. But I’m interested in the subject, track it epidemiologically, and tried to add something new.

This place is open to anybody but not for everybody. Give it a chance … if you want.

Edited 8 hours ago by SirBillybob

[Tom C. Sinclair]

I forgot my mantra. Duck duck!

[+ SirBillybob]

37 minutes ago, Tom C. Sinclair said:

I forgot my mantra. Duck duck!

No migratory pond break tariffs I’m aware of.

[+ ApexNomad]

1 hour ago, Tom C. Sinclair said:

I forgot my mantra. Duck duck!

You’ll have to explain your mantra to us.

[Tom C. Sinclair]

2 hours ago, ApexNomad said:

You’ll have to explain your mantra to us.

It’s easiest to deal with people as a duck deals with water on its back.