With millions of college students soon returning to campus in the coming weeks, epidemiology and infectious disease expert Dr. Rachel Cox says colleges must be prepared for Monkeypox to become a problem.

“College students often engage in higher risk sexual activity and are in close contact with people in classes, their dorms, and other places on and off campus,” said Cox, an assistant professor of nursing at the MGH Institute and a board-certified family nurse practitioner. “Colleges need to make sure they’re prepared to allocate resources like tests, vaccines, and antivirals to places that may become hotspots.” 

Most confirmed cases of Monkeypox have occurred within the men who have sex with men (MSM) community, but Cox cautions that it is possible to see outbreaks in other populations. “I don’t think people need to panic,” she said, “but if you are engaging in high-risk sexual activity, you need to have a high level of awareness and caution.”

As of the end of July, the United States now leads the world in number of reported Monkeypox cases. While the World Health Organization in late July declared the outbreak a global health emergency, health officials continue to assure the public the disease won’t rise to the level of concern that exists with COVID-19 although she expects more cases may be seen in the general population in the upcoming weeks.

Cox says the focus must be on several crucial areas. These include contact tracing in high-risk groups, ensuring healthcare facilities are adequately prepared with screening protocols, tests, treatments, and vaccines, and focusing on equity. 

“It is crucial that we avoid creating stigma by recognizing that a person’s sexual orientation does not spread Monkeypox,” she said. “We need to focus on vulnerable groups like those who are immunocompromised, people of color, the MSM community, and people with low socioeconomic status who may not have the resources to access testing and treatment and ensure they are at the forefront of our response.”