Given the realities of global travel it was always possible, even probable, that monkeypox, which has caused alarm in Europe and elsewhere, would eventually find its way to Jamaica.

So news that a traveller from Britain has been diagnosed with the viral illness is not a major surprise.

Coming as it does with the destructive novel coronavirus pandemic still alive and kicking, public disquiet is understandable.

Yet, the experts seem to be on point when they say that, while people must be vigilant, there is no need for panic.

It’s still early days, but available figures since the current global outbreak began in Europe in May support the view that spread is typically much slower than for the novel coronavirus.

Also, while the symptoms are discomforting — including high fever, skin rashes, and lesions — they are far less likely to lead to serious illness and death.

The World Health Organization (WHO) tells us that between January 1 and July 4 this year there were 6,027 monkeypox cases confirmed in 59 countries, with 4,920 in Europe, which is described as the current epicentre. There have been three deaths — all in Africa — where the disease is endemic.

We speak with caution, but again, it appears monkeypox is less of a threat than COVID-19, which, after just over two and a half years, has claimed more than 6.3 million lives and triggered 546 million-plus confirmed cases.

We are assured by Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie that the authorities are in control, and that contact tracing — which is an essential measure in containing spread — is on track.

Says the CMO: “We [health ministry staff] are very good at contact tracing, and we will uncover the cases and we will do our work to minimise the chance of spread to the population. This is a very mild disease and it does require very close contact for transmission… If you become sick, this is something you can see, and therefore you are spurred to action immediately in terms of isolating yourself…”

Of course, as everyone knows, carelessness — collectively and individually — can have disastrous consequences.

For that reason, the experience of COVID-19 will prove invaluable in terms of preventive measures. Like COVID-19, sanitising, mask-wearing, social-distancing and staying home, away from others, when feeling ill, are recommended to prevent monkeypox spread.

When the story of this period of human history is told by historians, among the highlights will be the extent to which disease forced behaviour change.

Work from home, which became very feasible with the onset of Internet connectivity in the 1990s, is now a way of life for many since COVID-19. Mandatory or not, the mask, laughed at by some in the early days of the pandemic, is now essential wear for many people. The handshake, a near-compulsory form of greeting in the Western world for centuries, is now ‘risky’.

Those adjustments in human behaviour, twinned to personal responsibility, seem likely to be overwhelmingly important in the battle against monkeypox, just as is the case with COVID-19.