U.S. stumbles in monkeypox response: report

NEW YORK, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The United States has had a faltering response to the monkeypox outbreak, with confirmed cases jumping to 700 in the two months since outbreaks were first detected and clinics across the country struggling to meet the demand for effective vaccines, reported The Hill on Monday.

"Some public health experts and patients say more needs to be done and warn that mistakes made during the COVID-19 pandemic are being repeated," it said.

The monkeypox virus is less infectious than COVID-19 and is so far mostly affecting one community: men who have sex with men, but the United States has learned lessons from the coronavirus pandemic that should still help the nation control monkeypox, according to experts.

"Probably the most significant one to me is the lack of testing. We saw during COVID that every case that was found was like the canary in the coal mine, that they really were just the tip of the iceberg," said Leana Wen, a research professor of health policy and management at George Washington University.

Last week, one of the largest laboratory testing networks in the United States, Labcorp, announced it would begin testing for monkeypox using tests from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The company will be able to conduct about 10,000 tests daily.