Spooner Health Updates

• Spooner Health is conducting public COVID-19 vaccine clinics as availability determines. Please stay up to date on our Facebook page and COVID-19 Vaccine - PUBLIC | Spooner Health for more information and online scheduling. DO NOT call Spooner Health for registration. 

• Spooner Health is now testing anyone with any symptom of COVID-19 through Essentia Health's curbside testing. Please start your free screening by: 

  Visiting www.EssentiaHealth.org/COVID-19
  or calling
  1-833-494-0836.

  You do not need to be a patient of Essentia Health.

• Effective March 1, 2021 testing hours are 8:00 am - 11:00 am, Monday - Saturday. 

• Visitor Policy: 

  • One visitor per patient is allowed per day within visiting hours in the Emergency Department or on the Inpatient floor. 

  • Visiting hours are between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

  • All visitors must wear masks, even when in the room with the patient. Please practice social distancing and wash your hands frequently. 

  • If you leave the facility, you will not be allowed back in for the day. Please plan accordingly. 

  • Please remain in the designated room of your loved one. If you need anything from anywhere in the facility, please let a member of the care team know. 

• Some outpatient appointments and procedures are resuming with precautions. These services include rehabilitation services, diagnostic imaging, and some specialty clinic procedures. 

• Emergency Department patients, please use Emergenty Department entrance 

• All other patients, please use the main entrance Monday through Friday, 7:00 am - 5:00 pm. After hours and on weekends, please use the Emergency Department entrance. 

• If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911. 

COVID-19 Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Wisconsin Department of Health Services 

Washburn County Public Health 

Essentia Health 

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Guidance for Cloth Masks

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Mental Health Resources

Washburn County Mental Health and AODA 

Washburn County Crisis Line: 1-888-860-0373

Other Local Resources

Lakeland Family Resource Center 

Community First - Washburn County

Regional Hospice Online Grief Support Group

 

COVID-19 Vaccine 
Frequently Asked Questions

 

When will vaccines be available?
Vaccines will be available to the general public by spring/summer 2021. 

What are immune responses to the vaccine?
A small number of people may develop symptoms that mimic the virus.  This is not because they are getting sick with the virus; it is they body’s reaction as it develops the proper immune response to COVID.  The most common side effects are pain at the injection site (84.1%), fatigue (62.9%), headache (55.1%), muscle pain (38.3%), chills (31.9%), joint pain (23.6%), fever (14.2%), injection site swelling (10.5%), injection site redness (9.5%), nausea (1.1%), malaise (0.5%), and lymphadenopathy (0.3%).

If I develop an immune response, how long does it last?
Symptoms have most commonly lasted just 24 hours but can stick around for up to 3 days. 

If I develop a severe immune response from my first dose, should I skip my second dose?
Unless directed by your primary care provider, you should get both doses of the vaccine.  With one injection, your immunity will not be boosted to the highest level it could reach.  If you do experience a severe reaction, contact your provider immediately.

 Is the COVID-19 virus in the vaccine?
No.  There is no trace of the virus in the COVID vaccine.  Any symptoms a person experiences after injection are the body’s reaction as it builds an immune response.

How can I trust a vaccine that is so new?
To be approved, a vaccine must pass rigorous safety and efficacy testing.  The FDA will not approve a vaccine unless it prevents disease or decreases severity in at least 50% of those who receive it.  Current data on the COVID-19 vaccine show 90+% efficacy.

Plus, the COVID-19 vaccine was tested on a larger scale than many of today’s trusted vaccines.  In addition, while the vaccine is a new way to fight against COVID-19, the technology used to develop this type of vaccine has been in development for well over a decade.  It was originally introduced with the intention of fighting cancer, but attention was switched to COVID when the virus began to spread rapidly across the world.

Is it true that steps were skipped in order to get this vaccine out so quickly?
It’s true that this vaccine was ready for distribution faster than any other vaccine in history.  However, Operation Warp Speed was not completed by cutting any corners. 

Generally, when vaccines are developed, the manufacturers wait for approval before producing any of the vaccine that is being tested.  This protects the companies from losing out on their work and money if a vaccine doesn’t work.  With the COVID-19 vaccines, the manufacturers ran the risk of going to production during testing, in anticipation that the vaccines would work.  This would allow them to begin distribution as soon as there was approval.  That risk is paying off and is the reason we will have the vaccine in-hand that much sooner.

Can I get an antibody test done, to see if I have any immunity, before choosing whether to get the COVID vaccine or not?
This is not suggested.  The recommendation is to have everyone vaccinated, even individuals with antibodies.

Can I still pass COVID onto others after getting the vaccine?
While we’ve seen the vaccine to be effective in trials, there is still a small percentage of people who will not develop immunity from it.  In addition, it is expected that the vaccines may protect against severe infection, but not necessarily prevent mild or asymptomatic infection.  If this is the case, a vaccinated person could still get the virus and spread it to others.

There is no conclusive evidence on this, so it’s always best to continue to practice all safety recommendations and precautions. 

If I get the vaccine, do I still need to wear a mask?
Yes. There is a long road ahead to achieve immunity throughout the population to stop the virus from spreading. Wearing masks, social distancing and practicing good hygiene will still be extremely important. 

Is there any reason I should not get the vaccine?
If you have any symptoms or have been diagnosed in the two weeks prior to vaccination, you should postpone being vaccinated.  Also, anyone pregnant or under the age of 16 should not be immunized.