Monkeypox Sheffield: Residents remain calm as reports emerge of disease spreading in UK

The city is so far free from the disease, say health bosses, the UK Health Security Agency confirming there are no confirmed cases so far in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

But confirmed cases in the UK have more than doubled to 57.

The figure, released by the UK Health Security Agency on Monday, was up from the previously confirmed 20 cases.

There are 56 confirmed cases in England. Scotland confirmed its first case on Monday.

The Star asked residents if they were concerned over the spread – but few were worried.

Dave Grist, from Parson Cross, was not concerned at all, but did not think people knew much about it.

He said: “I don’t think they do, not yet. I think it’s early stages.”

James Alger, from Norton was ‘not worried in the slightest’ about the disease. Asked if he knew much about it, he said: “Not really, other than what the rash looks like, a bit of news in recent days.” He did not think Sheffield needed to worry about it more than the rest of the country.

Diane Clay, from Eckington, was ‘not particularly worried’ at the moment and had not heard much about it. She said: “I think if you're very careful, and we’ve got used to that with Covid, I think you can deal with it.”

Des Bate, from Pitsmoor, said he had heard a little bit about the disease.

He said: “Evidently it is not necessarily life threatening, but still given our history in terms of so many things over the past…

“Yes, it does worry me, not necessarily deeply and intensely, but any danger to our health is something to have an interest in – taking care, having certain worries. Why would anyone be happy with being ill in any way, shape or form?”

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Health officials said while the outbreak is "significant and concerning", the risk to the population remains low.

The Government has stocks of smallpox vaccine which is being offered to very close contacts of those affected.

Those at the highest risk of contracting the disease are being asked to self-isolate at home for 21 days, with others warned to lookout for symptoms.

The Associated Press reported the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Prof David Heymann, saying: "We know monkeypox can spread when there is close contact with the lesions of someone who is infected, and it looks like sexual contact has now amplified that transmission."

The disease can also be spread through touching clothing, bedding or towels used by someone with the monkeypox rash, and through the coughs and sneezes of somebody with the infection.

The disease is usually mild but can cause severe illness in some cases.

Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion.

A rash can develop, often beginning on the face and spreading to other parts of the body.

Boris Johnson has said monkeypox is a rare disease but it is important to "keep an eye on it".

Monkeypox is usually found in west Africa, not often spreading elsewhere.

Infectious diseases expert Sir Jeremy Farrar said so-called superspreader events are likely to be behind the rise in global cases.

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