'100 times worse [than COVID]': Texas man describes having monkeypox

A Texas man told KXAN's sister station in Dallas-Fort Worth that the symptoms he experienced with monkeypox were "100 times worse" than with COVID-19.

DALLAS, Texas (KXAN) — A Texas man told our sister station in Dallas-Fort Worth that the symptoms he experienced with monkeypox were "100 times worse" than with COVID-19, according to KXAS.

Luke Shannahan said he started running a fever more than a week ago, he also had a "constant headache" and said his lymph nodes were "swollen like I was a frog." A couple days later he got the blisters that health leaders have been describing as being consistent with monkeypox.

"The pain and tenderness was constant,” Shannahan said. “It's like if someone took a ball of needles and kept on stabbing you with it."

Shannahan has been diagnosed with the virus, according to KXAS, but he told the station he's not exactly sure where he got it. He said it's possible it was from going to the bars or pool parties, which he had done leading up to his having symptoms.

When KXAS asked Shannahan how his monkeypox compared to COVID-19, which he also had, he told them it was "100 times worse." He also said he laid in bed for two days thinking he was going to die.

Shannahan said he was able to get the vaccine and is now recovering.

What you need to know about monkeypox symptoms

According to Austin Public Health, symptoms of monkeypox include:

• Fever   
• Headache   
• Muscle aches and backache   
• Swollen lymph nodes   
• Chills   
• Exhaustion   
• A rash that can look like pimples or blisters

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services , the first five of those symptoms appear first and a rash develops shortly afterwards, typically starting on the face and then spreading to other body parts.

DSHS said it normally takes one to two weeks from the time someone is infected to the time they show symptoms. The illness typically lasts two to four weeks, it said.