Do you need a .pdf? Have I got a .pdf for you!
This week, I have mostly a passel of graphics to share with you. (If you don’t speak cowboy, that means “a bunch.”) But we do need to cover some items of interest first.
- COVID is in fact on the rise in Wisconsin. According to the CDC, hospitalization rates for COVID are relatively low. But they are showing a steady increase in most Wisconsin counties. In most wastewater sites tracking viral presence, levels are high or very high. Does this mean a big wave is on the horizon? Maybe, maybe not. If you want to play it safe, though, get your booster shots sooner rather than later.
- I say “get your shots,” but the fact is, boosters haven’t made it to all providers yet. Distributors are still saying that they’ll be in by the end of September, which isn’t very long from now. Until they do come through, check with your local Walgreens or CVS. Or use the vaccine locator on vaccines.gov. (You can find flu shots there too.)
- Hey, free COVID tests are back! Each household can order up to four test kits from covid.gov/tests. Given what I paid the last time at the local chain pharmacy, I’m doing it.
Okay, let’s get to the graphics. First, I’ve updated our quick guides to the COVID boosters for sharing in your community. I’ve put them together in two formats: slide and handout, and two languages: English and Spanish. As if that weren’t enough, each guide has two sections. The first is a general overview, and the second is a Frequently Asked Questions section.
Feel free to use either or both sections of each document and as I say, share ’em around. If you hear questions I haven’t answered, let me know. I’ll see about a follow-up.
A few weeks back, I shared Katelyn Jetelina and Caitlin Rivera’s fall vaccine chart. They have since updated it with information about the new COVID boosters, which makes it worth sharing again. If you share this one, make sure not to cut the attribution off at the bottom. (Sorry, no .pdf version available.)
Back at the start of the pandemic, the National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants created a series of COVID guides in more than 30(!) languages, some of which I’m ashamed to admit I’d never heard of. And wouldn’t you know it, they’ve got one for boosters. I’ll provide it in English and Spanish, but if you want it in Hmong or any of another 35 languages, follow that link. There’s a passel of other resources available, including audio and video PSAs.
The Links
- Speaking of questions and answers, Q.: Does the risk of getting long COVID increase each time you get reinfected? A: Yes, even when you have mild symptoms or none at all.
- I honestly don’t know what I think about this: Costco is getting into the healthcare business. On the one hand, they’re not the first to do this: Amazon and Walmart both offer primary care services. And Costco’s rates are relatively cheap, though no insurance is accepted. On the other hand, while it might expand accessibility to health care, it also puts that care behind the gates of yet another large, for-profit institution. In the end, I guess this is interesting, but thank God Wisconsin has numerous free and charitable clinics.
