Desert Regional Medical Center now providing TPOXX medication for monkeypox infections
Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs is the latest health care provider to have TPOXX, a medication currently being used for monkeypox, available to patients.
Tecovirimat, or TPOXX, is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of smallpox disease, but not monkeypox. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is allowing the medication's use for monkeypox infections among adults and children of all ages through an expanded access Investigational New Drug protocol.
Monkeypox is a disease caused by the monkeypox virus. People usually become infected through close contact with skin lesions or bodily fluids of infected animals or humans (alive or dead), including droplets, or clothing and linens from an infected person. The virus can also be spread through sexual contact, but it is not classified as a sexually transmitted infection.
Symptoms can occur five to 21 days after exposure, and include fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, rash and lesions often in the genital and perianal region. Illness typically lasts for two to four weeks.
The Palm Springs hospital received both oral and IV forms of the medication on Aug. 22, explained Dr. Claudia Fortiche, manager of the research program at Desert Regional. The oral medication, typically three tablets taken twice a day, is the preferred treatment method, Foriche said, but an IV is available for patients who are experiencing painful mouth lesions that make it difficult to swallow. Once a patient is able to swallow, the CDC recommends that they switch to the oral form, Foriche said.
Data on how many patients have utilized the medication or have been hospitalized at Desert Regional was not provided.
TPOXX is often prescribed to patients who are immunocompromised or have severe disease, but it is not limited to just those individuals. A person will need to visit Desert Regional's emergency department, have a consultation with an infectious disease physician who will determine if they should be prescribed the medication, and then sign a consent form in order to receive TPOXX.
Patients will receive instructions on how to take TPOXX as well as a patient diary. Treatment should be used for up to 14 days, but can be expanded if needed, Fortiche said.
A Desert Regional physician will follow up with patients following TPOXX use.
Though the Palm Springs hospital is offering the medication, it is not a local provider of the Jynneos monkeypox vaccine. Vaccine locations can be found at www.rivcoph.org/mpx/Vaccine-Locations.
Health officials say the Palm Springs area is at high risk of infection given its large number of LGBTQ+ residents and tourists. The virus can infect anyone, but during the current U.S. outbreak, it has disproportionately affected men who have sex with men, a group that includes people who identify as gay, bisexual, transgender and nonbinary.
Fortiche said it's been "rewarding" to help patients and see them breathe a sigh of relief once they receive the treatment. "It's very moving to see," she added.
Borrego Health, DAP Health, Desert Oasis, Eisenhower Health, Kaiser Permanente and Riverside County-run health care clinics are also providing TPOXX to patients in the Coachella Valley.
Another case reported in Riverside County
Riverside County Public Health reported an additional confirmed or probable monkeypox case on Friday.
The cities with the most cases are Palm Springs (82), Cathedral City (27), Desert Hot Springs (nine), Riverside (eight), and Palm Desert and Moreno Valley (five each), according to the county's monkeypox dashboard.
There have been 165 confirmed and probable cases reported in Riverside County, with Palm Springs and Cathedral City making up two-thirds of those cases.
Anyone who believes they have been exposed to monkeypox should contact their health care provider.
Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Desert Regional Medical Center now providing TPOXX medication
