First US Death from Monkeypox Confirmed in Los Angeles

Facts

On Mon., the Los Angeles Department of Public Health confirmed that a resident who had a compromised immune system died from the monkeypox virus.
This is in addition to another death reported in Texas last month. The role that the monkeypox virus played in that person's death is still under investigation.
According to the CDC, there have been 18 deaths outside of the U.S. from the virus. The U.S., by far has the most documented cases in the outbreak, with 22K confirmed infections so far in 2022.
The death comes as large cities like Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco have begun to see a decline in new cases. This decline is attributed to the availability of vaccines and behavior changes in those at greatest risk.
On Fri., the CDC stated that data showed that 61% of people with the virus in the U.S. also had HIV or another sexually transmitted disease.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also reported last week a downward trend in Europe of new cases. However, he warned that a decline in cases can potentially lead to complacency.

Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by PBS NewsHour. The CDC was able to get ahead of the monkeypox outbreak because there was already a vast amount of data about the virus and its behavior. The monkeypox response was able to build upon already-familiar tools, such as vaccines and testing. Strong education and preparation allowed for a swift ramp-up and effective national response.
Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by MSN. COVID and monkeypox have both shined a light on the U.S.'s inability to respond to large-scale and highly-transmissible diseases. More effective use of testing, treatment, and vaccine tools would have slowed or eliminated the spread of both viruses, yet the U.S. has struggled with all three mitigation measures. The U.S. must make improvements in its public health system or suffer the same fate during the next outbreak.