A social media post detailing a man’s experience of monkeypox has gone viral. Silver Steele, who is a gay adult film star, has documented the symptoms of the infection over a period of two weeks. In a photo collage shared by Mr Steele, one can see the lesions on his face go from small and light to large and dark. The graphic images soon went viral on social media, with the actor confirming that the rashes were as painful as they looked. 

Sharing a collage of images, Mr Steele said, “Monkeypox: A timeline. I am providing this to all of you so you can see an example of what the virus looks like over time. My goal with this is not to gross anyone out, but to educate. 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 and it’s being used in CDC demonstrations and medical journals.”

Speaking about a photo that he clicked upon recovery, Mr Steele added, “The second photo is me all smiles yesterday, free of the contagious period. Tomorrow, I see my doctor to get the “all-clear” and get a haircut so I can feel human again. Feel free to share this image. Spread the word, not the virus.”

Mr Steele further said that the painful rashes were not restricted to his face and had also spread to other parts of the body. As per a report by Insider, Mr Steele first noticed “pimple-like bumps” nearly a week after attending Fourth of July celebration parties. It was at one of these parties, he suspects, he may have been exposed. Soon enough Mr Steele began exhibiting other symptoms. “My lymph nodes were swollen. It was hurting to swallow and I was just having trouble getting moving,” he was quoted as saying.

As per New York Post, Mr Steele attempted to do contact tracing, but is not sure “when or from whom he contracted the virus.”

Mr Steele’s testimonial comes days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox a global emergency.