A man who ended up in hospital for weeks with monkeypox after originally thinking it was long Covid has shared details of his symptoms. Harun Tulunay, a public speaker and advocate at sexual health charity Positively UK, had a fever so bad he would pass out - and he developed lesions on his face.
The World Health Organisatioon has now declared monkeypox a 'global health emergency' on a level with Covid.
Harun, 35, was hospitalised and isolated in a room on his own. He first noticed that he was unwell when he came down with with a fever just after June 10 but as he had just had Covid he assumed it was an aftermath of the virus.
When his Covid test came back negative and his fever intensified to 39.7 degrees Celsius he piled on four blankets to keep his body warm whilst he was feeling intense chills. Harun was battling high fevers, chills and painful swollen glands under his ears, reports MyLondon.
He had begun to develop a rash, white and red in colour, which he passed off as a side effect of the high fever he was suffering and it wasn't until he checked a mirror after two days of being incredibly ill that he spotted a lesion on his nose.
He said: "I was unable to sleep and I was burning up with fever 38 degrees Celsius. The rash started out as red and white, I didn't have any blisters or anything. A couple of days later when I checked myself in the mirror, because I was so ill I wasn't well enough to get up and look in the mirror, I noticed a little legion on my nose but I didn't give much thought to it and had no idea it could be monkeypox, I thought it was acne or something."
He said: "When my fever and pain hadn't changed for a whole week, my friends became really concerned and so I reached out to 111 for help. I called five or six times when my fever was high and each time I told them the symptoms I was experiencing.
"At this point my fever was so high I was passing out and couldn't move. I would get asked the same questions over and over again - the answers were always the same. They said 'if you get worse call us' and each time I got worse the next day and when I called them the response was the same. My diagnosis was delayed a lot because of this, but I don't blame them."
Harun was referred to his GP after his condition had continued to worsen.
Harun's lesion on his nose started off a small blemish which he passed off as acne or a skin fungus
Harun was advised to get in touch with his sexual health clinic and after explaining his symptoms as well as noticing the rash on his nose he was advised to be tested for monkeypox. He took an isolated route through the sexual health clinic as well as wearing a mask and covering up his lesions on his nose since it was still unclear what was making him unwell.
He said: "Because we know very little about this condition people are afraid of it. I went to the A&E and they didn't know what to do other than keep me isolated and gave me painkillers." Harun was hospitalised after he became unable to swallow.
He saidn: "I just wanted to know what is happening to me and what action can we take, I didn't want to die from a high fever - my concern was not knowing what I had.
Harun spotted white and red blisters on his hand
Following his positive diagnosis of monkeypox, Harun was given a treatment first approved in America.
He said: "I had the worst experience ever in the last few weeks, it was worse than Covid and I've had that twice. I wanted to share my story to educate people and normalise the conversation around monkeypox. My case is really rare - the person who transmitted this to me had it really mild - he had some lesions but he wasn't as ill as I was.
"The lesion was so big and scary I was crying thinking it was going to leave a scar, it is scary waking up in the night alone shivering and being alone in an isolated room not knowing if the drugs they are giving you will work or when your lesion will disappear.
Harun described the past few weeks as the 'worst' he has experienced despite having had covid twice
He added: "People out there still think that this is a gay disease and it absolutely isn't an illness that exclusively affects gay people. It's annoying that people are saying this is a gay disease - people commented on my tweets saying that 'oh you're gay, next time use a condom' and all sorts of ridiculous statements that just aren't true.
"As soon as I was able I shared posts from my bed and the people supporting me online really kept me going to be honest with you - they've been an incredible support to me.
"I want to make one thing clear, I've not shared my story to to tell people that they'll become like me if they catch monkeypox, my case is really rare - I want to tell people to watch out for the symptoms and be sensible. If you have a fever, swollen gland or sore throat stay at home, if you have blisters call your sexual health clinic.
"In the same way we looked out for the vulnerable in Covid, do the same now."
He added: "My mental health has been messed up, all this uncertainty felt like the first days of Covid. People were really agitated and anxious then and that's how I felt. I've been in a room that no one can come in or out unless it's urgent. Only four walls and a TV channel with five or six channels. I just want to be in my own bed, my own home."
He added: "This is nothing to be scared of. We need to speed up process for a vaccine which needs to be rolled out to all people, not just gay people. On the whole, it's a very mild condition - people need to learn about it and not make up stories or fear that it is a gay disease."
He said: "When my treatment is over and my lesions are completely gone, they believe at the moment that will be the end of isolation and transmission of monkeypox.
"My liver enzyme levels got high in the last couple of days and they were worried and so they may call me back for blood tests but I'm feeling much better now, I don't have the fever. I am now feeling normal and healthy, I have no pains and my lesion is now very small, I don't have body ache, I am now just homesick."
To find out more about Harun's journey you can view his Twitter account, where he has been sharing updates, here.
