Infectious threats to humans are continuously emerging. The 2022 worldwide monkeypox outbreak is the latest of these threats with the virus rapidly spreading to 106 countries by the end of September 2022. The burden of the ongoing monkeypox outbreak is manifested by 68,000 cumulative confirmed cases and 26 deaths. Although monkeypox is usually a self-limited disease, patients can suffer from extremely painful skin lesions and complications can occur with reported mortalities. The antigenic similarity between the smallpox virus (variola virus) and monkeypox virus can be utilized to prevent monkeypox using smallpox vaccines; treatment is also based on antivirals initially designed to treat smallpox. However, further studies are needed to fully decipher the immune response to monkeypox virus and the immune evasion mechanisms. In this review we provide an up-to-date discussion of the current state of knowledge regarding monkeypox virus with a special focus on innate immune response, immune evasion mechanisms and vaccination against the virus.
This editorial introduces the origin, purpose and scope of a Special Issue on COVID-19. It brings together 43 contributions from across the globe that examine the way in which COVID-19 has challenged the way we think about urban design, spatial planning and city governance. The editorial draws out a number of key messages from this body of work, highlighting how the impact of COVID-19 has been most devastating when combined with the existing vulnerabilities and chronic ill-health experienced in pre-pandemic cities. Following The Lancet, we, therefore, characterise this as a syndemic rather than pandemic, due to the way it interacts with existing urban NCDs. This provides further resolve to address long-standing urban health inequalities and challenges, while seeking more holistic ways of addressing these, for example through the Sustainable Development Goals. The editorial explains the role of our partners in the Special Issue (ISUH, Design Council and BOVA Network), draws out some of the themes from the collected papers, and finally highlights an agenda for future contributions to Cities & Health that will allow us to better understand and respond to the aftermath of the COVID-19 syndemic.
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