Dear Today,
We're seeing mpox spreading across Africa, and leaking out to Sweden and Pakistan (so far). The WHO has declared it a public health emergency of international concern.
The NHS tells us "If you get infected with mpox, it usually takes between 5 and 21 days for the first symptoms to appear", and the first sign could be "flu-like symptoms". That could give us plenty of time for infection to spread before it's detected.
NHS advice is imprecise on whether the infection can be transmitted asymptomatically if you are "in close contact (such as touching their skin or sharing towels, clothes or bedding) with someone who HAS MPOX OR HAS MPOX SYMPTOMS" [my capitalisation], but there are warnings that it can - "Some people can spread mpox to others from 1 to 4 days before they have symptoms".
The UK Health Security Agency tells us "The risk to the UK population is currently considered low. However, planning is underway to prepare for any cases that we might see in the UK. This includes ensuring that clinicians are aware and able to recognise cases promptly, that rapid testing is available, and that protocols are developed for the safe clinical care of people who have the infection and the prevention of onward transmission".
The first Hallett report on the UK's preparedness for a pandemic emerged on 18 July, with recommendations to act quickly and visibly. The Cabinet Office and UK Health Security Agency would surely be expected to have a plan for a plan by now to deliver according to the recommendations defined in Appendix 4 of the report, and I'd like to know why it wouldn't require the first review (Recommendation 1) before Christmas.
This is a test of the UK's seriousness, and you should be pursuing it rather than waiting for official announcements.
Yours sincerely,
Ed Wilson
