President Biden on Tuesday announced a team to coordinate and manage the White House’s smallpox response efforts as the virus spreads to cities and states across the nation. The president named Robert Fenton, regional administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to serve as the White House National Smallpox Response Coordinator, and Dr. Dimitris Daskalakis as deputy coordinator. “Fenton and Deaskalakis will lead the administration’s strategy and operations to combat the current monkeypox outbreak, including equitably increasing the availability of tests, vaccinations and treatments,” the White House said Tuesday. Fenton has served two terms as acting administrator of FEMA and has led “multiple challenging prevention, response and recovery operations” throughout his career. STATE OF EMERGENCY EMERGENCY EMERGENCY FOR NEW YORK, ILLINOIS Daskalakis, a leading public health expert, is currently director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of HIV Prevention. The White House said he “is an expert on health issues affecting LGBTQIA+ communities.” Daskalakis previously oversaw infectious disease management for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Tubes labeled ‘Monkeypox Virus’ with positive and negative results are pictured in this picture taken on May 23, 2022. (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration) The White House said both officials played a “critical role in making COVID vaccines more affordable for underserved communities and closing the equity gap in adult vaccination rates.” MONKEY LUCK IN THE NUMBERS: FACTS ABOUT THE RARE VIRUS THAT’S WIDESPREAD The president’s chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, added that the team “will enable the Biden administration to further accelerate and strengthen its response to monkeypox.”
The two officials are expected to coordinate and manage response efforts across the White House and across federal departments and agencies, as well as work with local, state, national and international agencies to “monitor and combat the spread” of monkeypox . California, Illinois and New York have declared states of emergency. The first case of monkeypox was confirmed in the United States on May 18. So far, the Biden administration has made more than 1.1 million doses of vaccine available to states and cities across the country to control the spread of the virus and has expanded testing capacity from 6,000 tests a week to more than 80,000 tests a week. “Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with monkeypox virus. Monkeypoxvirus is part of the same family of viruses as poxvirus, the virus that causes smallpox,” notes the CDC. on his website. MONKEYPOX: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS — AND HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF The symptoms of monkeypox are milder than those of smallpox — and monkeypox is rarely fatal. The virus is not related to chickenpox, the CDC says. Monkeypox was discovered in 1958 when two cases of a smallpox-like disease occurred in monkeys kept for research. Monkeypox virus is present in human vesicular fluid. (BSIP/UIG via Getty Images) Symptoms of monkeypox include headache, muscle aches, exhaustion, fever, back pain, swollen lymph nodes, and chills. Within one to three days, a rash and lesions may also develop, according to the CDC. The CDC shares several healthy actions we can all take to limit contact and transmission of disease. WHO PREACHES THE GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY BLESSING Among these tips: Avoid close skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash. Do not touch the rash or scabs of anyone who has chicken pox. Do not share utensils, plates or cups with someone who has the virus. Do not handle or touch the bedding, towels, or clothing of a person with monkeypox. wash your hands often with soap and water — or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. The CDC recommends that those infected with monkeypox isolate themselves at home, noting that very close personal contact is another reason the virus spreads rapidly.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Anyone with an active rash or other symptoms should “stay in a separate room or area away from people or pets you live with when possible,” the CDC noted. Fox News’ Deirdre Reilly contributed to this report. Brooke Singman is a political reporter for Fox News Digital. She can be reached at [email protected] or @BrookeSingman on Twitter.