Health Services Update

As the weather gets colder, we tend to spend more time indoors. This closeness causes increased rate of transmission of common ailments. Stomach issues can be distressing, and there are many causes of nausea and vomiting. 

When should you see a doctor or nurse?
Call your doctor or nurse if your symptoms last longer than a day or two, or you have severe symptoms. You should also call if you:

• Have chest or belly pain
• Throw up blood or something that looks like coffee grounds 
• Have a bowel movement with blood or a bowel movement that is black and looks like tar
• Have a fever higher than 101°F
• Have a severe headache or stiff neck
• Feel very tired or have trouble getting up
• Show signs of dehydration (meaning that your body has lost too much water). Signs of dehydration include:
  • Feeling very tired
  • Being very thirsty or having a dry mouth or tongue
  • Muscle cramps
  • Dizziness
  • Confusion
  • Urine that is dark yellow, or not needing to urinate for more than five hours

What can you do to feel better?
You can:

• Drink lots of fluids, if possible. It often helps to take small, frequent sips.
• Try eating, but start with foods that have a lot of fluid in them. Good examples are soup, Jell-O, and popsicles. If this goes well, you can try soft, bland foods. Foods that are high in carbohydrates (“carbs”), like bread or saltine crackers, can help settle your stomach. Some people also find that ginger helps with nausea. You should avoid foods that have a lot of fat in them. They can make nausea worse. Call your doctor if your symptoms come back when you try to eat.
• Avoid strong smells, such as the smell of perfume
• Take medicines with meals, if possible. But check the bottle first, because some medicines must be taken on an empty stomach.

COVID-19 Updates

New COVID-19 cases, week of 10/30/22-11/5/22: 5

• Need more tests? You can order free at home tests from the Minnesota Department of Health: When you enter your address, you will need to put in your room number  Order Your Free At-Home Rapid Tests through the State of Minnesota (mn.gov)
• Use our COVID-19 reporting form to report symptoms, positive tests, or vaccination/booster updates.
• When to test: If you feel ill with COVID like symptoms, take a COVID test (day 1 – 24 hours post onset of symptoms). If the test is negative, repeat the test 48 hours later (day 3).  If you test negative and are still concerned you may have COVID-19, you may choose to test again 48 hours after the second test (day 5).
• Exposed to COVID-19: Start wearing a mask right away and test five full days (day 5) after the last time you were in close contact with a person with COVID-19. Your last day of contact is day zero. If your test is negative on day 5, repeat another test 24 to 48 hours later (on day 6 or 7) and continue to wear a mask for 10 full days.
• Still have questions about how and when to use a self test? Check out this video from the CDC When to use a self test