BBC Look Ahead: After COVID-19, should we be worried about mpox?

The World Health Organization has declared the rapid spread of a new strain of mpox in parts of Africa a global emergency.

And that’s led some people to wonder whether we’re facing another global pandemic, similar to COVID-19.

The BBC’s Pete Ross in London joined The Show for a look at the pandemic protentional and more of the key global stories in the coming days.

Conversation highlights

MARK BRODIE: Tell us about this new strain. Is it more dangerous or infectious? And should we be worried about this becoming another global pandemic?

PETE ROSS: Yeah, I think the first thing to say here, Mark, is that global pandemics, COVID, it's fresh in the minds of many, isn't it? It doesn't seem that long ago that many of us were, you know, having to work from home. Or there were lockdowns or, you know, masks had to be worn.

So to answer your question, the shortest answer, basically, is whether this is going to be a new global pandemic or not: probably not. And I'm going to quote Dr. Hans Kluge. He's the World Health Organization regional director for Europe. And he said last week, mpox “is not the new COVID.” The risk to the general population is low.

However, I believe that people are worried about this because, well, first of all, as you mentioned in your question there, the World Health Organization did declare a global health emergency on the 14th of August after a new variant of mpox, which used to be known as monkeypox, was spreading rapidly through the Democratic republic and across into 12 other neighboring African countries.

And then last last week, what happened was cases began to appear for the first time outside of Africa, and that has piqued the interest of people in the West, wondering if it's going to spread now. Essentially, as I said, Dr. Hans Kluge there of, of the World Health Organization reckons that mpox is not the new COVID.

But what I would say is that what is key to this is, is vaccines. However, having said that, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, it is a serious situation getting vaccines into the places that it's needed, such as the DRC, that has proven problematic, partly apparently to do with red, red tape put up by the World Health Organization, but also due to costs as well. However, we're hearing that vaccines, 10,000 doses will be going to the DC this week, so hopefully that should slow things down.