Should clubbers now be worried about catching Mpox?

Earlier this summer, when the World Health Organisation declared a global health emergency over a new strain of Mpox – the viral infection formerly known as monkeypox – it brought back memories of the initial 2022 outbreak, as well as the Covid pandemic.

While the 2022 global epidemic was driven by the Clade II variant of the Mpox virus, the newer strain, known as Clade 1b, is believed to be even more contagious, spreads in close confines or through close person-to-person contact, causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions, and in some cases, serious illness and death.

Until recently, it had mostly affected parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A few hundred cases had been discovered in neighbouring countries, with one case in Sweden, one in Thailand.

Earlier this month, Germany became the third country outside of Africa to report infections – and now it has been detected in a hospital in London. So should you be worried?

When Mpox first made headlines in the summer of 2022, many cases were caused by sexual contact. The UK’s outbreak was confined mainly to gay and bisexual men. Given this cohort was at significantly higher risk of exposure, those of us in the community were asked to limit our number of sexual partners, while sexual health clinics prioritised us for early vaccination, to help contain the spread.

With their experience of the 2022 epidemic fresh in their memory, event organisers on the UK’s queer scene have been asking the question how should venues and club nights respond to the headlines about Mpox? Should we be doing something again to keep punters safe?

A leading gay club DJ recently wondered aloud on Facebook whether closing down “play areas” in gay venues, “just for a while”, might help contain any spread. But the pile-on from club-goers was so rapid and overwhelmingly critical, the original post and comment thread were quickly deleted.

However, while health authorities have long been alert to the possibility of a case being discovered here, most people in the UK are at a very low risk of being affected.

While there is some evidence to suggest Clade 1b is transmitted differently to Clade II, they are genetically similar, so the current understanding is that the existing vaccines will be protective.If you’re eligible for an Mpox vaccine, as per the official advice on gov.uk  – for example, if you have multiple partners, participate in group sex or attend “sex on premises” venues – and have received your first and second shots, you are at a much lower risk of transmission happening or getting seriously ill if Mpox transmission occurs.

If you’ve recently travelled to the affected areas and have had close contact (which may include sex) with people from affected communities, you may have a higher chance of getting Mpox, meaning it’s important for you to be aware of and look for symptoms of Mpox.

What can clubs and bars do? First, organisers don’t have to close play spaces. More important is to share resources and information from trusted organisations.

In 2023, my colleagues and I at The Love Tank, a sexual health organisation based in London, conducted research in collaboration with Queen Mary, University of London for the World Health Organisation, the results of which showed that one of the biggest difficulties that people had in 2022 was getting accurate information about Mpox. We found that people often relied on informal networks and friends to find out about the infection, how it is transmitted, and where to get vaccines from. If you run a club night that attracts lots of people, you can use that influence to direct attention to trusted resources and organisations.

People should also be encouraged to get tested regularly for STIs. Those eligible for it should get the Mpox vaccine when they next go into a sexual health clinic for their regular check-up. For the maximum possible protection, it is important that the vaccination course – an initial dose, followed by a second after at least 28 days – is completed.

The final thing is to stay calm. Clubs, bars and influencers, with their reach, should encourage people to follow the advice from the UK Health & Security Agency, the NHS, and organisations that are working in public health and advocacy. The situation and advice may change as we learn more about the current outbreak, so it is important to keep checking back for updates and pass this information to your audience and punters.

Qaisar Siddiqui is head of community mobilisation and outreach at sexual health organisation The Love Tank