WCJC MESSAGE CONCERNING MONKEYPOX

This is an important message to all students, employees and visitors of Wharton County Junior College regarding the monkeypox virus.

Monkeypox is a disease caused by a virus not commonly seen in the United States. However, monkeypox cases recently have been found in the United States. Monkeypox can make you sick, with symptoms like a rash, which may look like pimples, blisters or sores, often with an earlier flu-like illness. We are monitoring the situation and are working with public health authorities to stop the further spread of the current monkeypox outbreak. If we all know the facts and work together, we can help to stop the spread of monkeypox.

We want you to enjoy your time at WCJC. Please follow the tips below:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer.
• Stay home and contact your healthcare provider if you:
  • Feel sick.
  • Have a fever, chills or swollen lymph nodes.
  • Have a new or unexplained rash, which may look like pimples, blisters or sores.

Monkeypox can spread to anyone through close, personal, often skin-to-skin contact including:

• Direct contact with monkeypox rash, sores, or scabs from a person with monkeypox.
• Contact with objects, fabrics (clothing, bedding or towels) and surfaces that have been used by someone with monkeypox.
• Contact with respiratory secretions, through kissing and other face-to-face contact.
• Sexual contact of any kind, including at a minimum hugging and kissing.
• Touching fabrics and objects that were used by a person with monkeypox and that have not been disinfected, such as bedding and towels.

The risk to most people remains low, but knowledge empowers us all and keeps us healthy!

For more information about monkeypox, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.