Monkeypox 'has nothing to do with' COVID-19, B.C. physician says

While more monkeypox cases were confirmed in Canada this week, B.C. still doesn't have any known infections, said a local physician who shared what experts know so far about the disease.

CTV Morning Live spoke with Dr. Rhonda Low Wednesday and she debunked some myths circulating about the virus first discovered in the late 1950s.

"It's a DNA virus so it has nothing to do with COVID, which is an RNA virus," Low explained. "Some conspiracy theorists have managed to think that there's a link, but there's no link."

Low reiterated what other health-care professionals have said in recent weeks, that it's rare for the virus to be recorded in countries outside of Africa.

Last week, Canada's top doctor suggested there could be a "couple" of cases of monkeypox in British Columbia, but local officials said hours later those people did not have the disease. On Tuesday, the Public Health Agency of Canada confirmed there were 15 cases countrywide. 

With the recent rise in cases, Low said medical experts are learning more about the virus.

Low assured monkeypox is "not easily spread between humans" but can be transmitted through large respiratory droplets or direct contact with skin lesions, bodily fluids or contaminated materials like clothing.

"It seems that people are only infectious when they have those skin lesions," Low said. "The risk to the general public is low, but we want to know if it exists."

Some of the symptoms to watch for include a flu-like illness with fever, chills, body aches and swollen glands. That's typically followed by a rash that appears one to three days later and, while it can start on the face, it can spread to the rest of the body, Low said.

While there is a more serious strain of the virus, Low said most cases being reported are mild infections.

"It goes away by itself in two to four weeks without any treatment," she said, adding that there are two vaccines that can treat monkeypox.

"So far there are no specific medications, but three treatments do exist that can be used in emergency situations."

Low's comments were part of an interview that aired on CTV Morning Live. Watch the full interview in the video player above.