Health authorities believe there is a low probability that the latest mpox infections will become an epidemic similar to that of the COVID-19 virus.

Kim Sung-ho, the vice minister for disaster and safety management, said on Wednesday that the chance of an epidemic is very low as the mpox virus is transmitted through close physical contact as opposed to respiratory transmission seen with COVID-19.

Kim still urged those experiencing symptoms to report to authorities and called on medical personnel to promptly make diagnoses in order to prevent further domestic transmissions.

Eighteen mpox cases have been reported in the country as of Wednesday, including 13 suspected of being domestically transmitted. Last week, the infectious disease crisis alert for mpox was raised to the second-lowest level of "caution" on the four-tier scale.

Concern over the mpox virus comes amid a general downward trend in COVID-19 infections, critical cases and related deaths, with average daily cases last week falling zero-point-two percent from a week prior to ten-thousand-691, the lowest since late February.