Your Ultimate Guide to Navigating COVID this Fall

All COVID vaccines have been updated to better target the currently circulating strains of the virus. Everyone 6 months and older should get the updated shot this fall. If you’ve recently tested positive, you might want to wait 3 months before getting the updated vaccine. While these vaccines may not prevent disease every time, they are very effective at reducing your chance of being hospitalized. Last year, the fall vaccine provided 40-60% additional protection against severe disease.

COVID vaccines are available through your healthcare provider or your local pharmacy. We are also providing vaccines for children who are uninsured, have medical assistance or BadgerCare, or are American Indian or Alaska Native. We can also vaccinate uninsured adults. You can make an appointment at either our South Park Street or East Washington Avenue clinics or stop by one of our mobile clinics. Don’t forget you can get your flu shot at the same visit!

At-Home Tests

Tests can help you find out if you are currently infected with COVID. The Post Office is again delivering free tests for your family this fall. Visit covidtests.gov to order a box. Each order includes four tests. You can also pick up at-home tests from area libraries (call ahead to check supply) or at our South Park Street or East Washington locations during business hours, while supplies last. You can also purchase at-home tests in stores, pharmacies, and online.

Masks

Wearing a mask is a way to further protect yourself and others from getting sick from respiratory viruses, and wearing a mask is especially important if you’ve recently tested positive for COVID or have been sick with respiratory symptoms (see below). You can pick up masks at our South Park Street or East Washington locations during business hours, while supplies last. You can also purchase masks in stores and online.

If you do test positive for COVID, especially if it’s been a while, you may say to yourself, “well, now what?” Here’s a refresher on the latest guidance for what to do if you have COVID:

• Stay home if you’re sick and return to school and work once you’re feeling better and fever-free for at least 24 hours.
• Once you resume normal activities, take additional precautions for the next five days to avoid getting others sick. That includes things like wearing a well-fitting mask and keeping a distance from others.

This is the same advice to follow for other respiratory illnesses, like the flu and RSV.

The Dane County Respiratory Illness Dashboard can help you track COVID, flu, RSV, and more this upcoming respiratory virus season. We gather and present this information in one convenient location to help you make good decisions about your health and your family’s health.

We’ve made some changes to dashboard this year, to adapt to the changing landscape of COVID data. You can learn about these changes in our blog post.

You might use it to decide when to wear a mask in public, adjust travel plans, keep immunocompromised loved ones safer, or encourage loved ones to get up to date with their vaccines—or just to know what illnesses are circulating. The dashboard is updated weekly on Thursdays.

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