Monkeypox is ‘not an LGBTQ disease, it just happened to hit this community first’ says Houston resident

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, [email protected] or @townsquaretalk.

As the World Health Organization declares the monkeypox outbreak as an international public health emergency, what is the risk of the virus here in Harris County? What we know is that although cases are rising, the community threat level is low, with 47 cases in Houston and 10 cases in Harris County.

To give the big picture and to help understand what we can expect, we talk with infectious disease experts and community leaders to explore all aspects of this newest threat and what you need to know if you have symptoms.

Also, as we take listener calls for questions and comments, we hear testimonials from two people who have contracted the monkeypox virus. One shares that he's currently experiencing mild symptoms, while the other, Houston resident Wesley Wallace, describes his experience of a more severe case. 

For questions on testing, vaccinations, and more, call the Harris  County  Monkeypox Hotline at 832-927-0707.

Guests:

Judge Lina Hidalgo

Harris County Judge

Dr. James McDeavitt, MD

Executive Vice President and Dean of Clinical Affairs at Baylor College of Medicine

Dr. Susan McLellan, MD, MPH

Professor of Infectious Diseases and Medical Director of the UTMB Bio-containment Care Unit

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day’s most important and pressing issues.