Can You Catch Monkeypox From A Co-Passenger In A Plane? Find Out

New Delhi: Unlike COVID-19, the chances of your catching Monkepox on a flight are not likely because the infection spreads mainly through skin-to-skin, mouth-to-mouth, or sexual contact with someone who has the monkeypox rashes.

Direct contact with the lesions or the fluid in them, or indirect contact with contaminated material such as linens, can also lead to the spread of the infection, say experts.

While large respiratory droplets can be a mode of transmission, prolonged and close contact with the infected person would be a requirement to catch the virus. Experts are thus of the opinion that wearing a mask as part of the COVID-19 protocol can save you from monkeypox, News18 reported.

At present, maximum cases seem to be occurring in men who have sex with men (MSM), making sexual contact the most efficient way of transmission.

According to Andy Seale, an advisor on sexually transmitted infections at the World Health Organisation (WHO), “We’re seeing cases that are largely focused on men. And when we look at those cases, we’re noticing that actually its men who have sex with men… There have been some cases reported in women and children, but these have been very limited.”

The concern over fear of catching Monkeypox from a co-passenger arose after the death of a 22-year-old man, who boarded a flight from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) back home to Kerala after testing positive for monkeypox.

The man did not report to any health facility in Kerala for five days and died on July 30 due to encephalitis (swelling of the brain). An upset Union government has reached out to authorities in UAE to find out how the man was allowed to fly despite testing positive for the viral infection, which is spreading its tentacles across the globe.