NCDHHS secretary says most state monkeypox cases are from one group – Spectrum News
RALEIGH, N.C. — The secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said there is a massive disparity in monkeypox cases.
What You Need To Know
- NCDHHS secretary spoke at length about navigating public health in a pandemic
- Kody Kinsley says most monkeypox cases are coming from men
- The secretary says there is a massive disparity in who has been infected and affected by the virus in the state
Kody Kinsley says nearly every case of monkeypox includes a man.
“This is a disease that can affect anyone. Anyone can get monkeypox through skin-to-skin contact, but that’s not what’s playing out right now,” Kinsley said.
Kinsley made a stark revelation in an exclusive interview with Spectrum News 1 Wednesday.
”We’re seeing nearly all of our cases of monkeypox in men who have sex with men. We’re seeing more than 60% of cases in Black men,” he said.
That kind of gap doesn’t go unnoticed.
“Those are huge disparities when compared to the population, which means we need to be clear about that. We need everybody to understand the risk and that those individuals, especially those individuals who are having multiple sex partners or sex with strangers are more at risk. We need to talk about that plainly,” Kinsley said.
Kinsley is himself an openly gay man. He believes an open dialogue about health issues related to the LGBTQ community is good.
“Unfortunately, when we look at national data, we know that gay and bisexual people and lesbians are disproportionately more likely to be uninsured. We’re going to see that challenge greater in North Carolina. I’d say, look no further than the current monkeypox outbreak,” the secretary said.
His reference to uninsured rates in the LGBTQ community passes muster. A 2017 study by the Center for American Progress, or CAP, found 15% of LGBT Americans across all income ranges are uninsured in 2017, compared to 7% of non-LGBT.
“We need to get all of our providers on the same page. It’s amazing that we are starting an outbreak with a vaccine in hand that’s highly effective and getting that vaccine in the arms of people who it will best serve. That’s what I’m focused on,” he said.
The state received more supplies of the monkeypox vaccine earlier this month. Four hundred and forty-four doses of Jynneos, one of two brands in the states, were allocated to the NCDHHS for distribution across the state to local health departments.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests the vaccine be given within four days of exposure to monkeypox in order to prevent onset of the disease.
On July 6, the Wake County Health Department announced their first case of monkeypox.
Six days later, so would the Durham County Department of Public Health.
At last check, there are 21 confirmed cases of the virus by the NCDHHS.
Since stepping into office full-time in January, the 37-year-old has embraced the attention that comes with the position. “Of course the conversations that we have on-camera and what’s going on in the public are important,” Kinsley said.
He says the issue can’t be handled alone.
“I believe that obviously my personal experience and caring about this population helps. We have an amazing team that works on these issues across the board and thinks about the aspects of everyone’s experience here in North Carolina to make sure we can serve everyone fairly,” he said.