A gay porn star has shared a montage of his Moneypox symptoms that he developed over a month which left huge blisters and could leave scars for life.
Silver Steele, of Houston, Texas, started getting monkeypox symptoms around July 11, when small pimple-like white spots started appearing around his mouth.
Over the course of three weeks, Steele watched the spots become painful, red blisters before it eventually scabbed over and started healing.
The porn star said he was posting the montage of his symptom development ‘not to gross anyone out, but to educate.’
‘This is really hard to look at,’ he said in a July 25 video he posted to his social media. ‘I’m just asking everyone to be a little compassionate and to understand that if its hard to look out, imagine what it’s like to have.’
‘Not everyone displays symptoms the exact same way, but I’ve been told by more than one professional that my case is a “clinically perfect” example,’ he said on Instagram on August 4.
Gay porn star Silver Steele, of Houston, Texas, developed horrific blisters on his face after developing monkeypox and documented his month-long battle with the virus
Steele showcased his entire journey with monkeypox from when he started developing symptom on July 11 until he was out of his quarantine period on August 1
Steele first noticed the bumps after a Fourth of July party and initially thought it was only razor burn, according to Insider.
But four days later, the porn star noticed his health had declined and that ‘my lymph nodes were swollen, it was hurting to swallow and I was just having trouble moving.’
After going to the doctor, it was confirmed he had the virus and he would go on to develop a fever, chills, and night sweats, according to Insider.
Within 48 hours, his lesions began to hurt as the flu-like symptoms subsided. He would develop more lesions on his gums, throat, legs, and hands, and said it ‘hurt most when I ate.’
‘There were times when I was literally just sitting there watching TV and all of a sudden it’s just like knives stabbing you,’ he told Insider. The pain was pretty intense.’
In a July 25 video (pictured), he showed off the worst of his lesions and said it was ‘really hard to look at’ and asked for people to be compassionate toward those who contract the virus
Steele has since received the TPoxx vaccine, which is also used to treat smallpox, and can only be received with special permission from the CDC. He encourages his followers to also get the vaccine as it becomes available to them
Steele also developed strep throat while he was down with monkeypox and said he nearly passed out while a doctor was examining his throat.
‘He took the tongue depressor away and all of a sudden it was like: “Oh my gosh!” And everything started to go black,’ he told Insider.
Steele has given the TPoxx vaccine – which is used for smallpox and can only be given with special permission from the CDC – and is encouraging others to get vaccinated when they can.
The young porn star also credits having a doctor who primarily sees gay men – which the virus is mainly spreading among, but it is not considered an STI and can be contracted by anyone.
‘He finds these resources quicker than most,’ he told Insider.
Steele said he ‘started to feel human again’ around day 18 and at the end of his quarantine period, he revealed he lost 14.5 pounds and is slowly creeping back up to his 197 pre-monkeypox weight.
Steele is now asking others to reach out to those who have monkeypox and spread a kind word and not be judgmental.
‘These aren’t people who deserve to get a virus, they just simply got it. So, just try to be compassionate and remember that they’re people and they’re worried and they’re scared and they’re in pain too,’ he said on Instagram on July 25.
America’s monkeypox outbreak was declared a public health emergency by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in early August after the nation’s infection tally hit almost 7,000 cases.
Monkeypox has appeared in almost all 50 states with California experiences the most cases
There is nearly 12,000 cases in the US as of August 16
Secretary Xavier Becerra revealed the shift to an emergency status in a press conference, saying he was prepared to go ‘to the next level’ and urging every American to ‘take monkeypox seriously.’
The declaration makes more resources available for states, allow for federal officials being deployed nationwide and enhance data collection on cases, hospitalizations and testing.
The World Health Organization also declared an international public health emergency two weeks before, after the virus was reported in 70 countries where it is not endemic.
A rash can appear between one and five days of infection and genial lesions are most common. The lesions tend to group in one area.
The virus takes two to four weeks before it starts to clear up.