Tomah Health continues to work with Wisconsin and Monroe County Public Health Dept., and Region 4 Healthcare Emergency Readiness Coalition (HERC) in response to COVID-19.
Mildly ill patients are encouraged to stay home and contact their healthcare provider by phone for guidance about clinical management. Patients who have severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, should seek care immediately.
Masks will be required for any visitor with respiratory symptoms, a cough or cold.
COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that can cause severe illness. COVID-19 spreads easily from person to person when someone who is sick breathes out droplets and tiny particles with the virus. These droplets and particles can be breathed in by other people or land on their eyes, noses, or mouths, making them sick.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) recommends the following prevention strategies to prevent COVID-19 infection. Click each title below in bold for more information on each topic.
- Stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccines.
- Get tested for COVID-19 if you have symptoms or were exposed to someone with COVID-19.
- Stay home if you have COVID-19 or COVID-19 symptoms.
- Seek treatment if you have COVID-19 and are at risk of getting very sick.
- Wear a well-fitting mask when recommended.
Where Can I Get a COVID-19 Vaccine or Booster?
- Call 211 or visit www.vaccines.gov to find a site near you.
- Monroe County Health Department (315 W. Oak St. Sparta, WI) call 608-269-8666 to schedule an appointment.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone 6 months and older get the updated COVID-19 vaccine.
COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. Hundreds of millions of people have received COVID-19 vaccines under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history.
Before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FSA) can approve a vaccine, it must be tested through clinical trials to ensure it is safe and to see how well it prevents illness. COVID-19 vaccines were, and continue to be, tested in large clinic trials, with far more participants than is usually required, to ensure they met well-established safety standards. Vaccines are also continually assessed and evaluated for safety with new populations, such as children.
Several systems track common side effects and rare adverse, sometimes severe, reactions in people who receive any vaccine, including COVID-19 vaccines.
You can use a self-test, also called an at-home test or over-the-counter test, a type of COVID-19 test that you can use anywhere. Self-tests are easy to use and produce rapid results.
Self-test kits are available for purchase over the counter at pharmacies and online. Self-test kits are also available at the Monroe County Health Department for free pick-up while supplies last (315 W. Oak St, Sparta, WI).
Are your current test kits expired?
Don’t throw them away – the FDA extended expiration dates for many brands – click here to find the latest on extended expiration dates.
CLICK HERE to find COVID-19 testing locations.
Contact your healthcare provider or local pharmacy about testing opportunities.
*Results of COVID Testing at Tomah Health can also be obtained via our MyChart program.
Visitors and patients with respiratory illnesses may be asked to mask. Tomah Health may ensure the safety of visitors and patients within the facility by screening for respiratory illness at the entrances of the facility.
Patients may also protect themselves by requesting their healthcare staff mask during their care.
If you have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 10 days or are experiencing respiratory symptoms, please contact the department of your scheduled appointment for direction. The Emergency Department is always open for those in need of emergency/urgent medical care.
Click Here for the latest on the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Click Here for information from the Monroe County Wisconsin Health Dept.
Click Here for a List of Most Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19
We remind area residents to use good health hygiene, including…
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
“Although we haven’t adopted a formal written policy, hospital administration and the board of directors have adopted the requirement that all patients must wear a mask for the entire time they’re in the building. This practice is based on recommendations from the CDC and the State Department of Health, and is to ensure the safety of our patients and staff. If you refuse to comply with this requirement, you’re free to seek out other options for your healthcare.”
“Visitors or patients may be asked to mask during times of increased COVID activity”