Can You Get Monkeypox From Going to the Gym?

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've likely heard about the Monkeypox Virus which has been making headlines and spreading quickly around the world. Just a week ago the case count was at 2,891 according to the CDC, however in just the past week the case count nearly doubled to 4,639 cases by July 27 according to the CDC and the World Health Organization. 

We're barely out of the previous Pandemic Covid 19, and we already have another health emergency to deal with. Unlike with Covid however where it spread through respiratory droplets and didn't really live well on surfaces, Monkeypox can be spread through skin to skin contact as well as through surfaces. Being that were in the health and fitness space, many people in our industry are curious about their risk of contracting Monkeypox while at the gym, so in today's post we're going to address just that.

There is some controversy over how the media, and even how Government and health organizations like the CDC and WHO are covering Monkeypox. While Monkeypox can be spread from skin to skin contact and even surfaces, the current stats show that 95% of Monkeypox cases are among gay men, a majority of whom have self reported either attending orgies or sex parties, or having multiple sex partners in a short period of time. The media, Governments, and Health Organizations have been hesitant to point out this fact and stress that Monkeypox is not a "Gay Disease" for fear of stigmatizing the Gay, Lesbian, and LGBTQ Communities. Critics however point out that by failing to acknowledge how Monkeypox overwhelmingly appears to be spreading is not only ignoring the problem, but is also causing needless fear among other populations who are likely at very little risk of contracting the Monkeypox virus. 

Monkeypox is not considerd to be a Sexually Transmitted Disease, though it can spread through sexual activity, but is not solely spread through sex, anyone can contract it through the spread of body fluids which includes sweat, saliva, and pus that comes from Monkeypox skin lesions, and even potentially from extended face to face conversation. The early symptoms of Monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches, exhaustion, and swollen lymph nodes which may come first or at the same time as the telltale rashes or pustules. 

So you're probably wondering "Can I get monkeypox from going to the gym and touching gym equipment and weights?" While the answer to that question is still somewhat unclear, it doesn't appear to be a huge risk. According to the Los Angeles LGBT Center, at a recent seminar of theirs they stated that gyms, yoga studios and other group exercise spaces known for sweating and shared surfaces can be vectors for spreading the virus, at this point it's unclear how long Monkeypox can live on surfaces, there doesn't appear to be a specific timeframe, though in rare instances it has been found to survive in unoccupied homes for up to 15 days. One thing that may bring you some comfort is knowing that basic household cleaners can deactivate the virus, so wiping down gym equipment before and after use should go a long way in preventing you from acquiring Monkeypox as well as spreading it to others. 

According to Dr. Jessica Justman an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, while it's possible for Monkeypox to spread in gym settings, it's "unlikely" for a number of reasons including that gym surfaces unlike linens are not porous and can easily be wiped down. The monkeypox virus is an "enveloped virus" meaning each virus particle is coated with a fatty membrane which is easily disrupted by detergents and cleaning products and without an envelope the virus is no longer infectious. Dr. Justman also went on to say that the risk is further lowered because the most infectious areas are the sores or pustules which tend to be in the genital area, and being that people wear clothes at the gym, it's unlikely one would be infected this way. Again, while it is theoretically possible to contract Monkeypox from the gym, Dr. Justman along with other experts like the Chicago Department of Public Health, contracting Monkeypox from the gym or gym equipment is "highly unlikely".