(NewsNation) – There are now more than 7,500 cases of monkeypox in the United States
Camille Seaton, 20, was the first known Georgian woman to contract the virus.
“It was crazy. I was like, ‘What’s wrong with me?’ Like, wow,” she said.
She thinks she may have picked it up from her job at a gas station, where she is in charge of managing the money as a cashier.
“I say I got it from touching dirty money or touching surfaces… just not paying attention to what I’m touching, then touching my face, then touching my hands, then touching my body,” she said. “Because let’s be real, not everyone washes their hands every 15 minutes.”
Seaton checked herself into an Atlanta hospital after noticing strange bumps on her face. She said she felt overwhelmed by the experience.
“Every doctor that came into my room wore a big gas mask and bubble suits and made me feel really alienated. Like, ‘Oh my God, what the hell is wrong with me, for real?’ “, she told” NewsNation Prime “.
Because there is no immediate cure for monkeypox, the hospital presented Seaton with few options.
“The doctors kicked me out of the hospital. … They said there is no cure and this is new to them and there is no treatment, as if you felt very alone in that case,” she said.
Dr. Anthony Harris, CEO and Medical Director of HFit Health, told “NewsNation Prime” that there are many ways to get monkeypox.
“We know that monkeypox is and can be transmitted primarily by skin-to-skin contact, with bodily fluids from the pustules themselves, but (also) prolonged skin-to-skin or contact…materials that have been handled or soiled with bodily fluids. of someone infected with monkeypox,” he said. “So indeed, this may present, as cases continue to increase, a possible type of work-related exposure, particularly if you are in a risk environment, particularly healthcare environments as well than the hotel industry (industry).”
Skin-to-skin contact can include cuddling, cuddling, and kissing as well as sharing bedding, towels, and clothing. The people who have fallen ill so far have mostly been men who have sex with men. But health officials point out that the virus can infect anyone.
No one in the United States died, although a few deaths were reported in other countries.
Last week, the federal government declared a public health emergency to bolster the response to the monkeypox outbreak.
The announcement was to free up money and other resources to fight the virus, which can cause fever, body aches, chills, fatigue and pimple-like bumps on many parts of the body.
The urgency of the current response stems from the rapid spread of the virus coupled with the limited availability of the two-dose vaccine called Jynneos, which is considered the main medical weapon against the disease.
Seaton, meanwhile, is forced into self-isolation while she has the virus, which means she cannot work. However, she set up a GoFundMe to support herself.
Watch the full Camille Seaton interview in the video player at the top of the page.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.