If there's anything we've learned since 2020, it's that safety and respect come first.
Maintaining physical distance and avoiding contact with persons exposed to or known to have monkeypox seems to help reduce your risk of getting the virus, says Dr. Forcier. If someone in your household gets monkeypox, they should self-isolate, wear a mask, and wear clothing that covers their rash, she says. If you have to be around them—say bringing them food or washing their linens—the UN recommends wearing a mask and gloves .
at certain events. Festivals and concerts where folks are fully clothed, for example, are likely safer from a monkeypox standpoint than going to a party or club where people are wearing less clothes and/or pressed up against each other for extended periods of time.If you think you’ve been exposed to monkeypox—say, you were at a party and find out later a person you hung out with had monkeypox—you should monitor for symptoms for 21 days after that exposure.