Free tests are back, expert advice for getting or staying well

Published 1:30 am Thursday, September 28, 2023

The federal government has revived a program that will mail four free rapid COVID tests to each requesting household. Order the tests here.

The move comes as the summer COVID wave continues and as the fall/winter respiratory virus season threatens on the horizon. One aim of the resurrected program: Improving the nation’s vaccine manufacturing capacity and building up stocks that may be needed if another COVID spike emerges.

You Had COVID in the past: When to get the new vaccination?

Maybe you had COVID a year ago, a month or two ago, or even last week. How long should you wait before getting the new COVID vaccination in order to get the most mileage from the natural protection you gained from having COVID, balanced with the renewed protection from vaccination?

There are no firm rules to answer this question from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The main thing is to get vaccinated with the new formulation because it has been designed to work on the current virus variants.

Most experts recommend waiting at least two weeks to get the new COVID vaccine after you recover from a COVID infection. However, healthcare providers often recommend you wait two or three months before getting the COVID vaccine in order to lengthen the overall period of protection.

Here are two things to consider about post-COVID vaccination timing:

• You will want to weigh the vaccine’s ability to reduce the risk that you will get a severe COVID infection that could put you in the hospital, especially as we move into the respiratory virus season. That’s especially true if you are over 65 or at risk for severe COVID.
• Waiting longer, however, likely enhances how long your protection lasts from a combination of the natural immunity you gain from having had COVID combined with the protection from the vaccine.

You have COVID right now: What to do?

If you have COVID now, we suggest you focus on two high-priority goals:

Reduce your chances of severe disease: Consider getting Paxlovid antiviral medicine to reduce the chances of severe COVID, including the risk of developing long COVID. In order for it to be effective you should start taking Paxlovid as soon as possible and no more than five days after your first symptoms.

Your healthcare provider can prescribe Paxlovid for you. Vashon Pharmacy and some other drugstores on the mainland can prescribe and provide it as well.

Protect others by isolating: One major benefit of home COVID tests is that you can know early on if you have COVID — much sooner than in the early days of the pandemic when lab results took days. That knowledge is powerful because you can begin right away to protect people in your household and others in the community.

If you have symptoms, test twice if the first test is negative, spacing the tests 48 hours apart. Vashon Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) suggests it’s even better to test daily for three days.People who have been exposed are advised to test at least five days after exposure.

Repeat testing up to three times total, spaced 48 hours between each test, if the earlier tests are negative. If exposed, Vashon Medical Reserve Corps recommends you wear a mask in public and avoid contact with those at high risk for 10 days even if you are testing negative.

Isolation can be a challenge in a household where people share bathrooms or other common spaces. Do your best to minimize exposure between the sick and those who have not tested positive for COVID.

One suggestion: It helps if everyone in a household wears N95-quality masks because protection is doubled if both the sick person and the uninfected people in the household are all wearing masks. Also, improve ventilation in the home and utilize HEPA air purifiers.

It’s easy to be impatient to get out of isolation, but leaving too early can infect others. Vashon MRC advises a conservative approach. If you test positive, isolate for at least five days and until you test negative. Also check in right away with your doctor about treatment, even if your symptoms are initially mild.

Help Prevent Suicides: Know the Lifeline Number 988

September has been designated as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. It’s to remind everyone of the nationwide suicide and crisis lifeline phone number 9-8-8. You can call or text that number any time of day or night for help and support in English and Spanish. If you know someone who is struggling or in crisis, here’s a link with advice on spotting the danger signs, and what to do if you feel someone is at risk.

Vashon Risk Level: Basic

The COVID risk level for Vashon remains at Basic. Despite a continued steady rise in the weekly hospitalization rates in our three-county exposure area, that key metric remains below the trigger level for the Elevated Risk category.

Wear an N95 mask indoors in public if you are exposed to COVID, at risk for health or other reasons, or live with someone at high risk.

Plan on getting the updated COVID and flu vaccines in early fall.

Maintain good ventilation at home and at work, and avoid those with suspected or confirmed COVID. If exposed to COVID, wear a mask in public and avoid contact with those at high risk for 10 days.

Always home-test if you have symptoms.

If you test positive, isolate for at least five days and until you test negative. Also check in right away with your doctor about treatment, even if your symptoms are initially mild.

If you are immunocompromised, discuss additional prevention actions with your healthcare provider.

The VashonBePrepared COVID Risk Advice Tool aggregates data, primarily the COVID hospitalization, in our exposure area. That includes King, Pierce, and Kitsap counties because passengers on the island’s ferry routes take thousands of roundtrips daily to those mainland areas.