October ’23 COVID-19 Resources

With the weather finally becoming more chilly in Minnesota, it’s time to make the necessary preparations—you know, taking in the patio furniture, breaking out the winter boots, and making sure you’re prepared for the viruses that winter can bring. There are a few things you can do this decorative gourd season to help keep yourself healthy. These include:

• Get boosted! The protection offered by COVID-19 vaccines can wane over time, so it’s important to know if you are up to date on your vaccinations. Check out the page on vaccines put together by the Minnesota Department of Health!

• Get your free COVID-19 tests from the state. Testing is a great way to protect the older or more vulnerable folks in our community. If you wake up feeling under the weather, don’t risk spreading COVID-19. Test and be sure!

• Prescription medication is available to help prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death. Talk to a health care provider to learn if you qualify for COVID-19 treatment and where to get it. Learn more about COVID-19 medication at COVID-19 Treatments. Dozens of Minnesota pharmacies and federally qualified health centers are participating in the federal Test to Treat program. There, you can take a COVID-19 test and, if positive, be assessed by a provider on-site. If you are eligible for treatment, you can receive and fill a prescription for pills at the same time. The federal government has a Test to Treat locator  to help find participating sites. In addition, the State of Minnesota has launched a telehealth test-to-treat app in partnership with Cue Health. For more information on this program visit the Telehealth webpage.

• Stay up-to-date on the science. We’re still learning a lot about this virus. We were fascinated by this recent article about the research being done investigating if people who get infected the coronavirus multiple times are more prone to Long Covid.