20-year old Camille Seaton went viral after posting several videos on TikTok detailing her experience with monkeypox. She is the first female diagnosed with the disease in Georgia.
Seaton, who works at a gas station, believes that she contracted the disease while working, where she held money from customers. She was not wearing a mask or gloves during work. According to her, “sex is not the only way to contract this virus. Yes, it’s mostly been men who have gotten it – I’m only the first woman to have gotten it in the state of Georgia – but all people are different.”
Bumps started to form on Seaton’s face last July 11. On July 16, she had herself tested, and was confirmed to be positive for monkeypox a few days later. She described her symptoms, which included itching, nausea, diarrhea, joint pain, headaches, and bumps on her face which looked like “cereal holes’.
“I was in pain literally all the time,” she added. Seaton made sure to isolate for no less that 14 days to avoid exposing her family, especially her three-year-old daughter, to monkeypox. She was declared to be “officially past being contagious” last August 1.
Seaton took almost a month to heal and no treatment or vaccines were offered to her. Amoxicillin and steroids were prescribed since she had strep throat, and Tylenol was prescribed for her Monkeypox. Despite being healed, she still does not want to leave the house and opts for food deliveries.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported last August 4 that there were already 7,102 confirmed cases of Monkeypox in the US and 26,519 around the globe. New York alone reported more than 1,400 cases last June. While most cases are among men, recent reports state that there are now women who tested positive for the virus. Research points out that the virus spreads through sexual contact between men, but recent research revealed that the virus was also discovered on surfaces after an infected person touched it. Respiratory droplets during face-to-face contact were also said to transmit the virus.
Due to the virus, Seaton had to take days off work, thus, causing financial problems for her and her family. Fortunately, she was able to raise $18,000 for her medical bills through GoFundMe. Seaton thanks everyone who helped her and she continues to remind everyone to always be careful, wear masks, wear gloves, avoid touching others, and to always wash hands.