HOUSTON (PRWEB)
August 10, 2022

SignatureCare Emergency Center has announced that all of its neighborhood 24-hour emergency rooms in Texas are now offering Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests for the rapidly spreading and infectious Monkeypox virus.

Dr. Christopher Langan, MD, a board-certified emergency room (ER) physician and Chief Operations Officer (COO) of SignatureCare said the tests are administered only to those patients deemed at risk who have lesions consistent with the Monkeypox disease.

‘We now administer PCR tests for Monkeypox in all of our emergency room locations throughout Texas but these tests are available only to those deemed at risk who have lesions consistent with the Monkeypox disease process,” he said this week.

He added that for a patient to be tested for Monkeypox at SignatureCare Emergency Center, the patient must be showing signs of infection.

“We are able to provide testing for Monkeypox if our emergency physician feels you have a rash consistent with the disease. Testing will take approximately 5 days before the result is finalized and available,” he said.

Dr. Langan advised those showing signs of Monkeypox infection to get tested and quarantine until the rash is fully healed.

“It is extremely important if you get Monkeypox to quarantine until the rash is fully healed. Never touch the rash or scabs of someone who has Monkeypox, and do not share food or utensils with anyone who has the rash. Do not handle or touch the bedding or linens of someone who has Monkeypox,” he said.

On how the disease is transmitted, Dr. Langan said it is spread through direct contact with the fluid or scabs of an infected person.

“The virus can spread from person to person when in direct contact with fluid from the blisters or scabs, as well as prolonged face-to-face contact during intimate contact. Pregnant women can also transmit the virus to their fetuses. Touching fluid from clothing or linen that is contaminated by fluid from blisters is also a potential way to contract the virus.”

Dr. Langan said that Monkeypox is in the same family of viruses as Smallpox, although its symptoms are a bit milder.

“Monkeypox is an infection caused by a virus in the same family as Smallpox. Smallpox was a severe and deadly disease that we eradicated from the Earth thanks to vaccination efforts. Fortunately, Monkeypox symptoms are milder and rarely fatal compared to Smallpox, and Monkeypox does not spread easily.

“Symptoms of Monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle pains, swollen lymph nodes, chills, fatigue, and of course the rash. The rash will look like pimples or blisters and can appear on the face, in the mouth, and on other parts of the body such as the hands, feet, chest, genitals, and anus.

“The rash lasts about 2-4 weeks, will turn into small fluid-filled blisters, and then crater and scab after the blisters open up. Some people will only get the rash, while others will have the rash with other symptoms,” he said.

If you are experiencing symptoms of Monkeypox and need testing, go to SignatureCare Emergency Center’s website at https://ercare24.com to find the nearest Texas emergency room location.

About SignatureCare Emergency Center

Houston, TX-based SignatureCare Emergency Center owns 24-hour emergency centers throughout Texas including nine ER locations in the Houston area (Montrose, Houston Heights, Cypress/FM 1960, Copperfield, Memorial City, Westchase, Bellaire, Mission Bend/Sugar Land, and Stafford), Atascocita/Humble, Killeen, Austin, College Station/Bryan, Paris, Midland, Odessa, Texarkana, Spring, Plano, and Lewisville, TX.

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