Can you get monkeypox from playing contact sports? Here’s what a health official said

(WXYZ) – Children return to class in just weeks, with COVID-19 still a concern, as well as monkeypox.

While the majority of virus cases have been in adults, there have been cases in two children in Indiana, a toddler in California and a baby traveling in Washington DC

This begs the question, how worried should parents be as contact sports escalate and children prepare to return to school? I went to a high school football coach and a health official for answers.

Before the kids return to class at Warren Mott, some of them are already on the football pitch warming up for the upcoming season. But with a contact sport like football, will they need to be prepared for monkeypox?

“I know there’s a slight trepidation anytime you hear about, you know, illnesses or anything of that nature,” said Warren Mott’s football coach Tom Milanov.

Milanov says there’s not a lot of talk about monkeypox among coaches, but Macomb County health officials are monitoring new cases.

“We currently have eight, but we expect that number to increase,” Macomb County Health Department health officer Andrew Cox said Aug. 4.

Cox says there are no cases of monkeypox in children in the county, and since it doesn’t spread like the coronavirus, normal interaction isn’t an issue.

“It’s a very, very low risk. So we’re not going to get monkeypox from walking past someone at school, in the hallways, or at the grocery store,” he said.

You need direct, close, skin-to-skin contact. But Cox says even the touch you have in the sport isn’t enough. It requires prolonged exposure.

“Contact sports are safe. There’s a very, very low risk here that it’s a means of spreading monkeypox,” he said.

But prolonged exposure such as close dancing, sharing towels or clothing, toiletries or bedding is a concern and children should be warned about these practices. Cox says her team also emphasizes maintaining a clean school environment.

Although Monkeypox does not spread widely among children, it is important to know the signs.

They include a rash that develops into one or more blisters, fatigue and headache, sores in the mouth or throat which may cause difficulty in swallowing.

It is essential to consult your pediatrician, as monkeypox can be confused with other childhood illnesses such as chicken pox, measles, foot and mouth disease or allergic reactions. Children are more susceptible to serious illnesses

Milanov is crossing his fingers that since monkeypox is less transmissible than coronavirus, it won’t be a big deal in the classroom or on the pitch.

Children at risk for serious illness include those under 8 years of age, those with compromised immune systems, and those with conditions that cause skin lesions such as psoriasis, eczema, burns, chicken pox, pimples, fever, severe acne or severe diaper rash.

In these cases, take your child to the doctor immediately if they start showing symptoms.