A Missed Opportunity to Curtail Monkeypox: Week of August 5, 2022

Students, Faculty, Residents, Staff, Alumni, Board Members and Friends,

Good morning on a cloudy, summer day in Elkins Park. Our students are preparing to take final exams, and many are getting ready to depart for their clinical rotations. It’s an exciting time!

Here are some other areas of interest:

SEP BACK IN-PERSON: The Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University concluded its annual Robert E. Horne Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) in July with a celebratory closing event. SEP provides underrepresented students of color within the Doctor of Optometry program a jumpstart into the academic year. To read more about this year’s program, click here.

SPACERS PRESIDENT’S GOALS: Our latest podcast features a conversation with Carolyn Pijanowski, '24MS VRT, '24O&M, who is also the president of SPACERS, a student organization that promotes the blindness and low vision profession. She talks to us about the organization's goals and projects for this upcoming school year. To listen, click here.

FACULTY FOCUS ON DR. A.: Our Faculty Focus features Radhika Aravamudhan, PhD, dean of our Osborne College of Audiology (PCA) at Salus University. Dr. Aravamudhan believes the most important role of an administrator at any institution is to serve and build relationships amongst the various constituents. To read more, click here.

WHITE COAT CEREMONY: This year’s White Coat ceremony will again be held on campus, in the Hafter Student Center, with three separate ceremonies scheduled to keep the crowds down on Friday, 19 August. Our guest speaker is Rear Admiral William Roberts, Medical Corps, United States Navy (retired). Bill is an emergency room physician with a broad background in military medicine, business administration, public health and higher education. He recently completed his tenure as the acting President of the Uniformed Services University (USU) in Bethesda, Maryland and currently serves on the leadership team at USU. I have known Bill for many years and am excited for him to share his insights with us all.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Once considered a relatively obscure virus endemic to Africa, Orthopoxvirus monkeypox has emerged as a significant threat to global health, infecting more than 20,000 people in 75 countries and prompting the World Health Organization to declare a worldwide health emergency. (New York Times) The virus is spread through close, personal, often skin-to-skin contact, including:

• Direct contact with monkeypox rash, scabs, or body fluids from a person with monkeypox.
• Touching objects, fabrics (clothing, bedding, or towels), and surfaces that have been used by someone with monkeypox.
• Contact with respiratory secretions.

Given the factors above, it is extremely important to destigmatize the infection, which is being mischaracterized as a malady centered on gay men, simply because they comprise the majority of documented cases.

Source: New York Times

As we watch cases increase across the country, it appears we have learned little from our experience with COVID and the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 80’s and 90’s. When cases of monkeypox first emerged in the U.S., the nation’s public health system had the opportunity to significantly curtail, if not totally eliminate, the threat of the disease through judicious distribution of tests and vaccine, all which are readily available in stockpiles around the country. Even as the government recently declared the monkeypox outbreak a national public health emergency, until now, it has been administratively cumbersome for providers to order tests and access vaccines. According to the CDC, there are almost 7000 cases in the U.S. Locally, 173 are reported in Pennsylvania. As of yesterday, over 200 cases are being reported daily in the U.S. (see NYT chart below)

As healthcare providers, it is important for us to recognize and treat the signs and symptoms of Monkeypox, but just as important, to learn and apply past lessons learned to better protect all. The American public health system is fragmented and not as effective as it should be. When given the opportunity to address this, none of us should refrain from sharing our thoughts and opinions on how to improve the system.

As you prepare for the weekend, please keep in mind that COVID cases remain moderately high, so it is important to remain vigilant and follow CDC masking guidelines. If you suspect you’ve been exposed to monkeypox, please check with your primary care provider to determine the best course of action. At the very least, insist on being tested.

Stay safe, keep hydrated and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike