COVID-19 newsletter - December 22, 2021
What’s new?
Get vaccinated, boosted, and follow COVID-19 mitigation measures
Getting the COVID-19 vaccine and booster, if eligible, is more important than ever as we continue to battle COVID-19 and its variants. As COVID-19 runs rampant in our communities, our hospital systems are facing significant strain. Our hospitals have been operating at or near capacity for months and in recent weeks, we have seen increases in the number of COVID-19 patients needing care. We expect that number to remain elevated. COVID-19 ICU numbers fluctuate from day to day, but there continues to be an upward trend. Of the patients infected with COVID-19 who have been in the ICU over the past few weeks, the number of unvaccinated patients is five to six times higher than vaccinated patients.
The good news is you can help ensure our hospitals, clinics, and health care workers are available for everyone who needs critical care.
- Get vaccinated.
- Get your booster.
- Wear a mask indoors – even if vaccinated.
- If you have symptoms, get tested for COVID-19.
- If you are sick, stay home.
- Encourage others to do the same.
Safely celebrate the holidays
Getting tested for COVID-19 is a great way to prepare for holiday gatherings. Knowing whether you have the virus will help you make informed decisions to ensure those closest to you are protected. You can get tested by a health care provider or use a self-test before gathering indoors with those not in your household.
Visit the Olmsted County Public Health Services Facebook page to see how Associate Directors Michael Melius and Denise Daniels plan to safely celebrate the holidays.
Various testing options
A PCR test detects genetic material of the COVID-19 virus. You can expect results from a saliva PCR test within 24-72 hours.
People can also use rapid antigen tests, which detects certain proteins in the virus. Results come back in one to three hours.
People can receive COVID-19 tests from Mayo Clinic, Olmsted Medical Center, and pharmacies throughout the county. The Minnesota Department of Health has also teamed up with Vault Medical Services to offer at-home COVID-19 saliva testing for any person who believes they need to be tested, with or without symptoms, at no cost.
- A positive self-test result means you have an infection. You should avoid indoor gatherings to reduce the risk of spreading disease to someone else until the following three things are true:
- You feel better and symptoms have improved.
- It has been 10 days since you first felt sick or tested positive for COVID-19.
- You have had no fever for at least 24 hours without using fever-reducing medicine.
- A negative self-test result means you may not have an infection. Repeating the test with at least 24 hours between tests will increase the confidence that you are not infected.
- Ask your health care provider if you need help interpreting your test results.
- If you test positive or have symptoms, don’t host or attend gatherings.
More information on the types of COVID-19 tests and when to use them is available via the Mayo News Network.
Omicron
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues working with state and local public health officials to monitor the spread of Omicron. The infection rate of omicron, the highly infectious variant of COVID-19, is doubling about every two days, says Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. As of December 20, 2021, Omicron has been detected in most states and territories. The CDC says the tools to fight Omicron remain the same for other COVID-19 variants: vaccines, masks, and testing.
Updates
Olmsted County Public Health Services (OCPHS)
Olmsted County continues to remain in a high level of community transmission. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classifies counties as having high community transmission if they have had more than 100 new cases per 100,000 people in the past seven days. Last week, Olmsted County had 571 new cases per 100,000 people.
Olmsted County continues to make good progress on vaccinations:
- 42% of Olmsted County residents age 5-11 have received one dose of vaccine.
- 28% of Olmsted County residents have completed their vaccine series.
OCPHS hosted 16 vaccine clinics in December 2021 in the department’s building at 2100 Campus Drive. SE in Rochester and at various locations in the community. Many of the events will require a second dose clinic, and OCPHS anticipates setting up additional clinics as more schools seek assistance in vaccinating the 5 to 11 age group.
Mayo Clinic
Patients ages five and older are eligible to be vaccinated. Individuals or parents and guardians can self-schedule a vaccination appointment now:
- Use your Patient Online Services account to schedule an appointment online or through the Mayo Clinic app.
- Call the Rochester campus Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or weekends from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.: 507-538-4040.
- If you don’t have a Patient online Services account, call Mayo Clinic Customer Assistance at 877-858-0398.
Mayo Clinic also offers COVID-19 booster vaccinations to all eligible people 16 and older. If you meet the age and vaccination time interval guidelines, you can schedule your appointment through Patient Online Services or by calling 507-538-4040. You will not receive an email or letter asking you to schedule this appointment. If you or your child does not have a Patient Online Services Account, call Mayo Clinic Customer Assistance at 877-858-0398 to create one.
Olmsted Medical Center (OMC)
OMC is scheduling COVID-19 vaccine appointments for children ages 5 to 11. To schedule an appointment, call 507-292-7300.
All individuals ages 16 and older are eligible to receive the COVID-19 booster. Appointments are required. Call 507-292-7300 to schedule an appointment. OMC is offering the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine boosters for patients who completed their primary series with Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson.
OMC continues to offer appointments for first and second doses for the Pfizer vaccine. Appointments are available on Thursdays.