Monkeypox Has Officially Invaded Amarillo

It's something we've been hearing quite a bit about for the last few months.

Nothing like COVID, however. It's not something that has been spreading like wildfire with no idea what it was or how to cure it.

Monkeypox is something we haven't seen pop up in decades, but slowly the cases started to surface across the world. Then it trickled its way into the U.S.

Now, it's made its way into Amarillo.

Today, August 31 marks the first "probable case" of Monkeypox here in the 806. The initial testing of it was done at a commercial laboratory and it was there it tested positive for orthopoxvirus, more commonly referred to as Monkeypox.

The case will most likely remain a "probable" case as not all the samples are confirmed at CDC. Therefore, they can't name it a definitive "positive" case.

With it now showing up in Amarillo, it's time we remind ourselves of its symptoms and how it is transmitted from person to person.

Symptoms of Monkeypox have some common symptoms such as swollen lymph nodes, headache, muscle & body aches, fever, and exhaustion. Those are all symptoms of simple things like a cold or flu. One thing that would differentiate itself would be a rash that would pop up.

It is spread through contact with bodily fluids, lesions, or sharing an item with one's body fluids on it. These could be a piece of silverware, a cup, or things like bedding or towels.

If you suspect you may have Monkeypox, the CDC has listed things to do here.

Also, if you think you may have contracted Monkeypox in Randall or Potter County, it should be reported to Amarillo Public Health by calling (806) 378-6321.

The Abandoned St. Anthony's Hospital on Amarillo Boulevard

The 119-year-old abandoned hospital is a fascinating place for any who are lucky enough to be granted the chance to explore.

The sprawling building saw thousands of Amarillo's citizens inside its halls daily, all the the way until it was shuttered in 2001. But there are still incredible artifacts of the all-too-recent past tucked away in the nooks and crannies of the old St. Anthony.

The explorer who took these photographs gave the following information:

"Many rooms were left untouched, we found patient files, old prescriptions, a blood transfusion machine from the 60s, and microscopic slides of breast cancer from the 70s and 80s. I put one picture in here of some heart scans so you can see the dates and diagnosis of the patient, but marked out the patient’s names of course. During a time when mental illness was not understood, 76 exorcisms were documented to have been performed between 1909 and 1931."

Take a look inside the halls of the legendary abandoned St. Anthony's hospital