The three-year mark of the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States is coming up in just a few months. Looking back at March of 2020, there have been enormous advancements in the understanding of this virus and tools to fight it. Thankfully, over the last year, cases have remained relatively low, however COVID-19 is still circulating.
General recommendations from the CDC to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 change depending upon the level of spread and hospitalizations in a community. At the “Low” level, people should: stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, and get tested if they have symptoms. At the “Medium” level, it’s recommended that community members stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, get tested if they have symptoms and those who are at high risk for severe illness, should talk with their healthcare provider about wearing a mask and taking other precautions. Finally, at a “High” level, individuals should practice the previous recommendations as well as wearing a high-quality mask or respirator and those at high risk of getting very sick, should consider avoiding non-essential indoor activities in public. At the time of writing of this, Green County is at a “Low” level, check out the Green County Public Health Facebook page on Friday mornings for weekly updates on the county’s level. To learn more about this metric or COVID-19 recommendations visit the CDC’s website: https://www.cdc.gov/
coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html
The current recommendations for individuals who test positive for COVID-19 are to isolate at home away from other people for at least five days from when symptoms began, or from a positive test result if the person is asymptomatic, whereas day 0 is the day symptoms started or the test day. If on day five, the person hasn’t had a fever for 24 hours and their symptoms have improved, they can leave isolation on day six as long as they wear a mask for the next five days, through day ten. People who are unable to wear a mask while around others for days six through ten should stay in isolation through day ten.
Individuals who have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 no longer need to quarantine if they have no symptoms, but they should wear a mask for ten days after they were exposed, with day 0 being the day they were with the person who has COVID-19. They should also get tested for COVID-19 on 5 after their exposure, for more information on testing options, keep reading.
Back in September, the updated COVID-19 vaccine booster became available. This booster was created to specifically target the Omicron variant of COVID-19, a variant that wasn’t yet around during the initial development of the COVID-19 vaccines. The updated booster also protects against the original strain of COVID-19. Everyone who is five years of age and older is eligible and encouraged to get the updated booster. Even people who have had a COVID-19 vaccine booster in past, as well as people who have already had COVID-19 should get the updated booster.
Everyone 6 months of age and older should get their initial dose of the COVID-19 vaccine if they have not already gotten vaccinated. The COVID-19 vaccines are very effective at protecting against severe illness hospitalization and death among individuals who get COVID-19 but have been vaccinated. Anyone who has questions or concerns about the vaccine is encouraged to talk with their doctor about the vaccine. To find a local vaccine provider, go to vaccines.gov.
There are several local pharmacies that are still offering PCR COVID-19 testing. To find local COVID-19 testing locations, visit the Green County Public Health website at gcpublicheath.org and go to the COVID-19 Testing page. At-home COVID-19 testing is also widely available. Everyone in Wisconsin is eligible to receive 1 package of 5 COVID-19 tests per month from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services; order these test kits online by visiting sayyescovidhometest.org. Right now is a great time to order test kits to have on hand before the upcoming holidays.
For individuals who test positive for COVID-19, it is now easier than ever to get antivirals to help treat a COVID-19 infection. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services now offers free telehealth service for Wisconsinites ages 18 and older who test positive for COVID-19 to help them access COVID-19 treatments. Antiviral treatments are available to help prevent people from becoming seriously ill, being hospitalized, or dying. Individuals must be able to take this treatment within five days from the start of their symptoms. Go to dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/
treatments or call 833-273-6330 to learn more about antivirals and get connected to telehealth services.
This time of year, other viruses are also circulating, and currently, cases of RSV (Respiratory syncytial virus) and influenza have been increasing. In general, to prevent the spread of these viruses and COVID-19, it’s incredibly important to practice good hand hygiene, people should avoid touching their face, and stay home when they are sick. Additionally, it’s important to stay up-to-date on available vaccines. Those who haven’t gotten their flu shot yet should do so soon, to find a local flu vaccine provider community members can go online to vaccines.gov.
To stay up-to-date on COVID-19 recommendations and other health information, visit the Green County Public Health website at
gcpublichealth.org or on Facebook, @GreenCountyPublicHealth.
— Bridget Zimmerman is the Public Health Educator for the Green County Public Health Department and can be reached at bzimmerman@greengountywi.org or 608-328-9509.
