San Diego County announced a new public information text message alert system that notifies residents about monkeypox.
Information will be sent out in real-time about monkeypox to the entire region. Residents who wish to sign up may text COSD MONKEYPOX to 468-311.
According to County officials, the system allows public health officials to issue timely information and instructions relating to monkeypox in the San Diego region. It resembles the COVID-19 text message alert system launched in 2020.
This comes after San Diego announced additional 800 monkey pox vaccination doses and as the nation experiences a supply shortage. To date, San Diego County has received about 2,200 doses and has 20 confirmed and probable cases.
According to the county Health and Human Services Agency, Monkeypox is a viral infection that can spread through contact with body fluids, sores on the body of someone who has monkeypox, or from shared items that have been contaminated with fluids from sores of a person with monkeypox.
The disease can also spread between people through saliva or respiratory droplets, typically between people in a prolonged close setting. Health officials said the virus can be transmitted during sexual or intimate contact, though it is not generally considered a sexually transmitted disease.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms of monkeypox can include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Backache
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Chills
- Exhaustion
- Rash
A rash usually appears within one to three days after the appearance of a fever, located on the hands, chest, face, mouth, or genitals. The rash will undergo several stages and can appear like pimples or blisters that may be painful or itchy.
Most people who develop monkeypox experience symptoms seven to 14 days after exposure. Anyone who thinks they may have symptoms of monkeypox, including unusual rashes or lesions, should contact a healthcare provider or call 2-1-1 for more information.
County Health Officials recommend using TellYourPartner.org to anonymously inform those you have had close contact with. For more information on monkeypox, visit the County’s monkeypox website.
