Ohio Man On Having Monkeypox: 'It's Not A Storm You Want To Weather'

A Columbus man recently shared his experience having monkeypox with NBC 4 News.

Nick Post began experiencing symptoms earlier this month. It all started with a headache, and turned into other flu like symptoms and eventually a lesion. When he got tested for monkeypox, the results came back positive. Then, the symptoms got worse: His lymph nodes became extremely swollen and he was in a lot of pain at times. “It’s not a storm you want to weather,” Post said. “It’s pretty bad.”

“There were definitely nights where I just couldn’t sleep at all,” he continued. “My legs at one point, it just felt like I couldn’t even walk, like it was just really bad. It’s not something you want to get at all. And it can leave a permanent mark.”

Meanwhile, Columbus Public Health (CPH) is preparing for more monkeypox cases as well as more doses of the monkeypox vaccine. Right now, there are only enough vaccines to treat those who have been in close contact with individuals who have tested positive. However, the state expects to receive more vaccines in the coming weeks and months, according to a Ohio Department of Health (ODH) spokesperson.

“We are preparing to have more cases but most importantly we are preparing to get more vaccine so we can vaccinate those at highest risk before they could be exposed to monkeypox to hopefully reduce their chances of getting monkeypox,” CPH Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts said (via NBC 4 News). “Unfortunately, it’s not going to be enough to cover the community that’s at risk but it will provide some protection.”