Letter to the editor: Let the health departments handle monkey pox
In recent weeks, another illness is starting to make itself known. Its name is monkeypox. A few weeks ago, the eastern part of the United States reported one case of monkeypox. Within two weeks, there were 13 cases.
Recently, Ohio reported its first case. This author feels many more cases will soon be reported. There are now over 1,600 cases in numerous countries, including the United States. Within the next couple weeks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization will determine if a public health emergency will be declared.
If such an emergency is declared, this author feels that we should look at the numerous mistakes that were made during the COVID-19 pandemic. This author would like to make a couple of good suggestions.
First, the most important suggestion is to let the professional health personnel handle the pandemic. The government should stay out of the health care workers tasks. During the COVID-19 pandemic. the government told us "15 days to stop the spread" was the answer.
Yet the 15 days to stop the spread lasted almost three years. During this time, we had developed a great distrust in the government. Drug abuse, mental health issues increased, and violence and suicide skyrocketed.
The government should provide financial support and trust the health care professionals. This author is a professional health care provider. This author can say that in a health emergency, all the health care professionals know what to do when a health crisis occurs.
John Smithkey III, Massillon
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Letter to the editor: Let the health departments handle monkey pox
