COVID-19 INFORMATION
Marshfield Clinic Vaccine Info
Center for Disease Control – COVID-19 Vaccine Info
Wisconsin Department of Health Services – COVID-19 Vaccine Info
Wisconsin Department of Health Services – COVID-19 Vaccine Data
The CDC has recommended to proceed in the following order as the US tries to reach vaccination of all citizens who wish to be vaccinated:
1a. HealthCare workers and residents in nursing homes and long term care facilities.
1b. Police and Fire Department employees as well as adults over the age of 75 years of age. Based on vaccine availability teachers will fall into this stage of the vaccination schedule as well.
1c. Adults over the age of 65 years of age and adults ages 18-64 with chronic health conditions. Essential workers including educators if they are not vaccinated in stage 1b.
2. Vaccination of the general public.
As vaccine availability and distribution improves timelines for these stages will be better defined.
It is hoped that vaccination of the general public can start by April 2021.
Pfizer and Moderna who are currently supplying all of the available COVID-19 vaccine have pledged to deliver 400 Million doses of vaccine to the US over the next 6 months. This amounts to 65 Million doses of vaccine per month. The US adult population eligible for vaccination is over 330 Million adults. To continue to keep each other safe until everyone who chooses to is vaccinated, it is still the right choice to wear a face covering, wash our hands and stay connected with others but physically at a 6 foot distance.
Together we are doing this – one day, one step and one breath at a time!
Don’t rely on your newsfeed or an acquaintance. Get the latest COVID-19 updates from sources you can trust:
Testing remains an important tool in diagnosing COVID and if diagnosed early there are now several treatments for acute COVID-19 disease depending on the severity of the disease.
Testing also helps all of us in limiting spread of COVID-19.
This handout lists testing sites and general information regarding testing.
Severity of acute COVID-19 disease
In general, adults with COVID-19 infection can be grouped into the following severity of illness categories.
Of course a patient’s clinical status may change over time.
• Asymptomatic or Presymptomatic Infection: People who test positive for COVID-19 using a virologic test (the nasal swab) but who have no symptoms that are consistent with COVID-19.
• Mild Illness: People who have any of the various signs and symptoms of COVID-19 (e.g., fever, cough, sore throat, malaise, headache, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of taste and smell) but who do not have shortness of breath, dyspnea, or abnormal chest X-Ray to CT scan.
• Moderate Illness: People who show evidence of lower respiratory disease during clinical assessment or chest imaging and who have saturation of oxygen (SpO2) ≥94% on room air.
• Severe Illness: People who have SpO2 <94% on room air, respiratory frequency >30 breaths/min, or lung infiltrates >50% on chest imaging such as X-Ray of CT scan.
• Critical Illness: People who have respiratory failure, septic shock, and/or multiple organ dysfunction.
Patients with certain underlying comorbidities are at a higher risk of progressing to severe COVID-19.
These comorbidities include being 65 years or older; having cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease, sickle cell disease, diabetes, cancer, obesity, or chronic kidney disease; being pregnant; being a smoker; and being a recipient of transplant or immunosuppressive therapy.
Treatment of acute COVID-19 disease
Here are some general thoughts on how to keep yourself healthy and boost your immune system. You can employ these tools really anytime and with any viral illness however especially when you have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
What do I do if the Covid-19 Test is Positive?
1) First, do not panic. While Covid-19 may be scary and no one likes to be sick, most people who become infected with it do not need to be hospitalized and recover well at home.
2) Contact your doctor or healthcare provider and seek medical attention immediately if you have any of the following symptoms:
• Persistent chest pain or pressure
• New confusion
• Blue coloring of your lips or face
• Extreme sleepiness or difficulty waking
• Oxygen saturation of 94% or less
(You can ask us at Sunrise Clinic if we have a pulse oximeter we can loan you to check your oxygen at home. We have a few oximeters available to our patients)
• Hydration is KEY: Drink plenty of water. It is very important to hydrate with other fluids containing electrolytes like Gatorade or Pedialyte. You may also eat popsicles or drink caffeine-free sodas like 7-Up or ginger ale. Decaffeinated tea with lemon and honey can soothe and help a cough.
• Wash your hands well and often: Frequently wash your hands well for 20 seconds with soap and water. Or you may rub hand sanitizer into your hands for 20 seconds (happy birthday sang twice or time your favorite song).
• Consider the use of Vitamins: it is recommended they are taken with food o Vitamin D3 2,000 IU every day o Vitamin C 1,000 mg every day. o Zinc 50 mg per day. (Or Zinc 25mg every 12 hours with meals if your stomach becomes upset.)
• Think about people you have recently been around. If you are diagnosed with Covid19, you may want to let people you have been in close contact with know that you have this virus. A public health worker may call you to check on your health, discuss who you have been around, and ask where you been while you may have been able to spread Covid-19. Discussions with health department staff are confidential.
• Practice good oral hygiene: To decrease the viral load in your mouth, brush your teeth and use mouthwash at least twice a day.
• Exercise your lungs: Once an hour, while you are awake, it is very important to exercise your lungs to decrease the risk of secondary lung infections like pneumonia. It is very important for you to do coughing and deep breathing exercises. Take multiple slow deep breaths in and slowly blow the air out through pursed lips. Another fun way to exercise your lungs is to sing your favorite song loudly every hour.
• Treat your fever and joint aches: Try Tylenol (acetaminophen) first. Ibuprofen, Motrin, or Aleve, may also be used. It is important to keep track of when you use these medications so you take the correct amount and do not over or under dose. Treat your aches so you can stay moving – this helps to exercise your lungs and lessens the chance of blood clots.
• Sleep: Get plenty of rest and sleep. Covid -19 positive patients should try to sleep on their side or stomach if possible.
• If you or the patient is using a nebulizer at the home: The nebulizer should be used in their quarantine area with the door shut. When possible, open a window for at least 15 minutes after the nebulizer is finished. Only the person with Covid-19 should be in the room where the nebulizer is on and during that 15 minutes of decontamination/aeration afterwards. The virus can aerosolize and spread easily to others this way.
• Cleaning: Regularly clean surfaces of frequently touched items (door knobs, remote controls, light switches etc.) preferably with a disinfectant since this virus can linger on surfaces.
• People who are living with a patient with Covid-19 or who are highly suspicious for Covid-19:
b. Stay in a designated room or section of the home if possible.
c. Use a separate, designated bathroom.
d. If you or the patient needs to leave your designated space, you/they should wear a mask and wash hands for 20 seconds with soap and water or with an alcohol based hand sanitizer.
e. Food should be eaten in the designated space away from others. When possible, use paper plates and plastic silverware or have the patient wash their own dishes.
f. People living with a patient who has Covid-19 should practice great hand washing and stay at least 6 feet away from the patient. They may also take the vitamins recommended above to support their immune system.
When can I discontinue isolation related to coronavirus disease?
Patients with positive COVID-19 test who are recovering at home: (non-hospital) setting, isolation may be discontinued when BOTH of the following criteria have been met:
• It has been at least 14 days since the day the patient first experienced symptoms.
• The patient is free of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications, and does not have a productive cough and other acute symptoms of respiratory infection for at least 72 hours.
Other comfort and immune boosting treatments:
• Warm rice pack or heating pad over the back or flank area (over the kidney area)
• Essential Oils
• Medieval Mix* and First Response* from aura cacia are excellent.
• Defender * from Simply Earth is very helpful
• Lemongrass* mixed with grapefruit* will help keep people healthy and motivated.
• Lemon* Orange* and Grapefruit*: These are always good to have this time of year. Add a drop to your drinking water to diffuse for immune boosting and mood lifting
• Angelica*, thyme*, eucalyptus* and balsam fir*are also great to have on hand as they are anti-viral and immune boosting. These may be mixed with orange* , lime* or any of the citrus * essential oils to create a great anti-viral and healing scent.
• Cinnamon*, cloves*, balsam fir*, eucalyptus*, and vanilla* create warmer scents;
* Essential Oils available at Sunrise Family Care Clinic.
1. Treatment of asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic infection
If you are 65 years old or older and/or have a chronic medical condition that falls into any of the topics listed above you may be eligible for an infusion of monoclonal antibodies to boost your immune system and allowing for a milder course of illness. Bamlanivimab is authorized for patients with positive results of direct COVID-19 viral testing who are 12 years of age and older and who are at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization. This includes those who are 65 years of age or older, or who have certain chronic medical conditions (as are listed above).
2. Treatment of mild and moderate disease for not hospitalized patients
As above for asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic.
3. Treatment of moderate illness requiring hospitalization and severe disease
Depending on your oxygen level you may be started on the medication remdesivir which is an anti-viral medication that stops the spread of the virus throughout your body. This medication is reserved for hospitalized patients whose room air oxygen levels are at 94% or less.
Social distancing does NOT mean social isolation!
Social distancing means staying 6 feet away from others so we do not spread COVID-19 unknowingly. Replace a handshake with a friendly smile, and avoid touching communal property. If you do, please sanitize or wash your hands.
Here are a few things you can do that comply with social distancing:
Talk on the phone with friends or family | enjoy the outdoors | read | watch a movie | shop online or through a delivery service | write a letter | clean your house | finish that craft project you started three months ago | take a minute to be mindful
Masks are a sign of safety and caring for others!
We encourage everyone to cover their mouth, notes, and eyes when in public to keep yourself and others safe.
Consider your face a “no touch” zone. Practice itching or adjusting your glasses without touching your face.
Don’t have a mask? You can make one out of old baby bibs, t-shirts, bandannas, or leftover cloth.
For eye coverage, a normal pair of glasses works fine. If you do not routinely wear glasses, try sunglasses!
A clean hand is a caring hand!
Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds. Not sure how long that is? Try singing “Happy Birthday” twice. If that isn’t your tune, try “Wheels On The Bus” or Dolly Parton’s Jolene–you’ve got plenty of songs to choose from!
If you have hand sanitizer user it for at least 20 seconds as well.
If you cannot wash your hands and don’t have access to hand sanitizer, wear gloves. Any pair of gloves will do. If they are not disposable, wash them after use or leave them in your car, using them only when it is necessary to touch public surfaces. When you get home, find some soap and a faucet and start singing.
STAY INFORMED
If you read or hear information that is confusing or concerning to you please reach out to us via phone call or portal message.
We are here for you!