A man with monkeypox has seen a TikTok video in which he shares his experiences go viral.
Matt Ford is a video maker and actor who splits his time between New York and Los Angeles.
In a TikTok video, in which he reveals his diagnosis, he says, “This shit sucks and you don’t want it.”
@jmatthiasford sry the sound was too appropriate #monkeypox #monkeypoxvirus #monkeypoxoutbreak #monkeypoxvaccine #CDC #WHO #greenscreen #fyp #fypシ ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
Monekypox has been around for decades but usually only affects people in central or western Africa. In May, outbreaks were identified in UK and other parts of Europe. It has since spread to the US, where there have been over 300 cases. It is disproportionately affecting gay and bisexual men.
Related: International Mr Leather event in Chicago linked to monkeypox cases
Monkeypox is mainly spread by direct skin contact between individuals. There’s an incubation period of 1-2 weeks. Those affected usually develop sores, lesions and scabs that are infectious. It can also be spread through contaminated clothing and linen.
Ford, who is gay, told Buzzfeed, “On Friday, June 17 … I received a call from a friend in LA who informed me that he had tested positive for monkeypox and that I might have been exposed the weekend prior via skin-to-skin contact. Sure enough, I checked myself for spots and noticed a couple of lesions in the underwear zone.”
In his video, Ford goes on to show the spots on his face, arms, hands and torso. He says he’s counted more than 25 lesions: “They’re really not cute.”
He says he has some in more sensitive areas, which tend to be more painful. Because of this, he had to get painkillers from his doctor to help him get to sleep.
As well as the spots, he had a cough, fever, sore throat and other flu-like symptoms. His infection was confirmed when swab samples were sent to the the LA County Department of Public Health.
He said he was making a video because he’d earlier posted a tweet revealing he had the infection, which had gone viral. He wanted people to know what it was actually like to have the virus.
I have monkeypox currently and this shit is absolutely no joke.
If you’re in New York and can get the vaccine, go do it.
— Matt Ford (@JMatthiasFord) June 23, 2022
He advised people to try and get vaccinated, if they get the opportunity.
“You do not want this shit. I cannot over-emphasize that.”
Just prior to New York Pride last weekend, the city’s health department issued a 1,000 doses of vaccine to high-risk groups (i.e. gay men), via a clinic in Chelsea. All the appointment slots were booked up within hours and men queued around the block for walk-ins.
On Tuesday, the White House issued details of plans to roll out more vaccines across the US.
The administration said it plans to allocate 296,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine over the coming weeks. It is currently the only Food and Drug Administration-approved vaccine specifically for monkeypox.
It said in a statement, “56,000 of which will be allocated immediately. Over the coming months a combined 1.6 million additional doses will become available.”
Related: Six gay/bi men die of meningococcal disease, CDC urges vaccination
Monkeypox is usually a mild, self-limiting illness, and most people will recover within weeks. However, the deadliest variant of the virus can be fatal for up to one in ten of those infected.
The form of the virus currently circulating is believed to be milder, with a fatality rate of less than 1 percent.
Anyone who feels unwell and notices an unusual rash is advised to seek medical help.
In the UK, there have been over 1,000 confirmed cases of Monkeypox, mainly among gay and bisexual men.
One of the country’s top public health doctors, Prof Kevin Fenton, told the BBC yesterday than anyone who thinks they may have any of the symptoms of monkeypox not to go out to any big gatherings – particularly Pride in London, which takes place today.
inbama
May Mr. Ford get well soon, and bless him for sharing this warning.
A British gay man has been posting on twitter about a seriously ill friend of his still hospitalized with this disease for over three weeks.
wikidBSTN
I kind of wish he showed us the pox in the more “sensitive areas” – just to be thorough – for the sake of science 😉
LumpyPillows
I think we should take a time out on the sex parties for a bit until we get a handle on this. We sure don’t need another gay disease.
CityguyUSA
Seems we already have one.
Mario
Another issue Joe Biden is inflicting on America, and his CDC is doing nothing to combat it.
This is what happens when an incompetent man, with senile dementia, at nearly 80 years of age runs a nation.
Gallup Poll (July 1, 2022):
Biden’s approval rating: 36%; disapproval rating: 62%.
Steve9999
As opposed to a fake tanned, insurrectionist, pathologically lying narcissist, racist and homophobe. Thanks, but I’d prefer Biden any day.
Edinocala
Biden is reacting much quicker than Reagan did with aids. Remember that? If you catch a cold you would blame than on Biden too?
barryaksarben
Hey idiot Matio lets ask the half a million people who died while Trump lied about having covid under control or that meat puppet Ronnie about all the gay men who died of aids while he refused to do a damned thing. I know you are just a pathetic INCEL living in your mommas basement but even you cant be that stupid. Dumb ass troll. Trump also tried as hard as he could (between golgfing and naps and watching fox) to stop the cdc from taking action against covid while Biden is acting FOR Americans not the drug companies or himself.
miamistars
Hey Mario, do us all a favor. Take your self-hate and go back into the Log Cabin Republican sewer line you crawled out of. And take your friend Milo Yiannopoulos with you.
Mario
barryaksarben:
More people died due to Covid during Biden’s administration than Trump’s And Biden even had vaccinations to fight it (remember Trump’s “Operation: Warp Speed”), but more still died. Additionally: Biden said he’d destroy Covid within 6 months if elected. It’s 2022 and people are still getting it and dying from it.
Biden, the dementia patient, is an utter failure as president, and most Americans agree with me.
Gallup Poll (July 1, 2022):
Biden’s approval rating: 36%; disapproval rating: 62%.
Bosch
Wait how is Biden responsible for a disease happening all over the planet? I can’t imagine he’s that powerful.
And if COURSE more people died from COVID as the disease spread, you dumbass. You know why the disease spread so much in your country? Because your super brave Republicans are afraid of tiny little paper masks and afraid of tiny little syringes.
TheDefiler
Bosch for the win.
ScottOnEarth
LOL!!!! OK, Maria. 🙂
Den
“More people died due to Covid during Biden’s administration than Trump’s And Biden even had vaccinations to fight it (remember Trump’s “Operation: Warp Speed”), but more still died.”
If you had even the slightest understanding of epidemiology (or even of science in general) you might understand why more people died of Covid during the Biden administration. But as we all see you would rather simply post stale talking points than even try to think (if you even know how).
The most prevalent vaccine was not developed using Trump’s Warp Speed funds, but came out of labs in Europe. And your idiot-son-of God, whose shit-taste you are clearly very familiar with turned down a second purchase of that vaccine when offered, prolonging shortages and enabling spread of disease.
There are problems with the speed of CDC response to the monkeypox outbreak, but I am willing to bet it will turn out to be the result of Gov’t employees ideologically similar to your regressive beliefs. And dementia. Let us not forget it is the man whose shit you eat that crowed about “Acing” a test only given to people suspected of having dementia or other cognitive impairment. Biden would never have asked about using nukes to stop hurricanes (Biden is too smart). Biden would never have asked about injecting bleach (Biden is too smart). Biden has raised the respect for our country out of the sewer Trump flushed it into. He is not an extraordinary president, but he is not an idiot like Trump and he is not neurologically impaired as Trump certainly appears to be quite often these days.
GET. A. BRAIN!
barryaksarben
Hey idiot mario lets look at Trumps poll numbers right now with over 50% of people think he should be charged for his little FAILED loser COUP
Mario
barryaksarben:
A. I don’t like nor do I support Trump.
B. Gallup Poll (July 1, 2022):
Biden’s approval rating: 36%; disapproval rating: 62%.
C. If Biden – the dementia patient – runs in 2024, he’ll lose badly to DeSantis.
DeSantis 2024!
Bosch
You support the republicans who support trump, that’s just as dumb. You’re dumb. Like really, really dumb.
Come on, copy-paste some more poll results.
inbama
@Mario
Calling Biden a “dementia patient” makes you lose all credibility. You are merely parroting warn-out Republican talking points only believable to people ignorant enough to get their news from FOX or truly demented enough to follow QAnon.
Den
“I don’t like nor do I support Trump.”
A classic example of how freely right wingers lie.
We know you do, and we know you are hetero. So crawl back into your little hole in the ground, slug.
RandomGuy
Did he say how and where he got it, I’m guessing no?
Huron132
Yes he did. It was from a friend during skin to skin contact. It’s mentioned that is started in the nether regions on him.
ScottOnEarth
It’s amazing what you can learn when you read the article you’re commenting on.
Den
Funny, but not surprising, that you are guessing rather than actually reading.
white-queer-african
Oh just FO Mario. Screenname number 15? U were a trans, Fake Tits Ment*lMarcy, BennyTheHill et al. Go back to your rightwing fake news sites.
OMG, i forgot u also Gay4Dumph.
LOL.LOL.LOL.
bodie425
When I see his name, I just ignore the post and move on. Otherwise, you’re banging your head against the wall.
Bosch
He REALLY likes being verbally abused by gay men.
Kangol2
Yep, it’s a troll who basically used another Queerty article to shill for anti-gay GQP creep Ron DeSantis. Mario’s a lost cause, and sad to say, there are many more like him/them/her.
Rambeaux
Looks disgusting.
Mario
Gays can thank Joe Biden. He did this.
Bosch
You’ll have to excuse mario; he doesn’t know how diseases work because he has the IQ of a used tampon.
Mario
Bosch:
Funny how you blamed Trump for everything when he was president. Literally everything. Biden deserves the same treatment!
Bosch
Really? You’re suggesting I blamed COVID, the previous GLOBAL disease, on trump?
Sigh.
Mario
Bosch:
Yes, back in 2020, you blamed Trump for Covid, and so did your fellow leftists, liberals, and Democrats.
How soon you forget your egregious behavior.
Bosch
No, I didn’t. Why would I blame a GLOBAL disease on the stupid president of some other country? Think before you type! Dumbass.
cuteguy
@Mario
You are obviously a Faux News troll. You are not wanted here. Go back to Faux News site where they place gun rights over women rights. They want to force women to have unwanted pregnancies so they could use them for target practice. Hopefully you’re the next target
Den
“Yes, back in 2020, you blamed Trump for Covid, and so did your fellow leftists, liberals, and Democrats. How soon you forget your egregious behavior.”
Definitely shocked you know a word like egregious! You must have cut and pasted that phrase from somewhere else!
But nobody blames Trump for Covid. We correctly blame his misguided and failed policies (tailored more to falsely “keep his numbers low” at first) for the level of illness and death faced by the US.
And it was the right, guided by Trump, that discouraged any and all sound public health policy making their intellectually challenged enclaves breeding grounds for new variants.
Your lack of intellect is kind of shocking, or at least would be if you were an actual gay man.
monty clift
It looks painful. I had a leg ulcer for six months that made me want to kill myself. I hope he gets through it, best wishes to him.
bachy
Ford was very brave to video a detailed description of his symptoms. I remember a certain reticence to describe the symptoms in detail among victims of COVID early in the pandemic. But the “unknown” only contributes to the fear/hysteria that comes with the outbreak of a disease. It helps significantly to know the facts, know what to look for, and know your options.
pickles
Let’s quit fighing with dimentia patient, Mario (see above) and FIGHT to get the monkey pox vaccine. I live in California, about an hour from San Francisco, near a ton of gays. Called my local Dr. office and asked when I can get the MP vax and was told, “we have no idea.” I don’t doubt them, but start pressuring and begging for this vax. We know how it worked with AIDS and needed drugs.. speeak up, or suffer.
PinkoOfTheGange
JYNNEOS (also known as Imvamune or Imvanex) and ACAM2000 are currently recommended. JYNNEOS is in short supply in the US, but ACAM2000 is available at this time.