a frightening statistic

Yes, you're right. It could simply be a natural consequence of their illicit behavior. Similar to alcoholics dying from cirrhosis of the liver. It need not be chastisement from God; it could be a failure to judge oneself. In which case the scripture still applies:

Rom 1:27-28 comes to mind: and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

Sin can have deleterious physical consequences.

 

John 3:16-21
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.​

 

1Co 5:3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

 

Here is an update story from NBC News, dated August 17, on the subject of monkeypox.

It says that a growing body of medical evidence shows that mere skin-to-skin contact is not a serious driver of the disease's spread. Instead, the overwhelmingly primary cause of monkeypox spread is sexual contact. The virus is in the seminal fluid of infected males.