Wahzhazhe Health Center to Conduct Osage Nation Employee COVID-19 Testing, Provides Health Updates

Communications

We have the tools to fight Omicron: Get Vaccinated + Get Boosted + Get Tested + Wear a Mask

OSAGE RESERVATION, OKLA. (January 6, 2022) - Due to the increase in positivity rates for COVID-19, the Wahzhazhe Health Center will conduct mandatory Osage Nation employee COVID-19 testing on Monday, January 10 and Tuesday, January 11, 2022, in order to identify positive cases and stop the spread. Mobile testing will occur for employees in Hominy, Fairfax and Skiatook. WZZHC will be closed to the public at that time and will conduct telemedicine for non-Osage Nation employees. The WZZHC pharmacy, as well as optometry and dental, will remain open to all WZZHC patients. Individuals with questions related to COVID-19, the COVID-19 vaccine, the COVID-19 booster, or scheduling a test, can call the WZZHC Covid-19 Hotline at (918) 287.0028. WZZHC is located at 715 Grandview Ave. in Pawhuska, Okla.

The Wahzhazhe Health Center (WZZHC) continues to follow Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations. Information and updates on tools to fight COVID-19 and updates on recommended isolation and quarantine period are below. This information, as well as additional information, can be found at cdc.gov.

WHO CAN GET VACCINATED AND BOOSTED?

Everyone 5 years of age and older is now eligible to get a Covid-19 vaccination.
Everyone ages 16 and older should receive booster shots at 5 months after the completion of the primary series of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.
CDC recommends that people ages 5 years and older who have moderately to severely weakened immune systems can get an additional dose of Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at least 28 days following their second dose. This includes:

Recipients of organ or stem cell transplants
People receiving active cancer treatment
People with advanced or untreated HIV infection
People who are taking medications that weaken the immune system
And others

UPDATES ON RECOMMENDED ISOLATION AND QUARANTINE PERIOD FOR THE GENERAL POPULATION

Given what we currently know about COVID-19 and the Omicron variant, CDC is shortening the recommended time for isolation for the public. People with COVID-19 should isolate for 5 days and if they are asymptomatic or their symptoms are resolving (without fever for 24 hours), follow that by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others to minimize the risk of infecting people they encounter. The change is motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after.

Additionally, CDC is updating the recommended quarantine period for anyone in the general public who is exposed to COVID-19. For people who are unvaccinated or are more than six months out from their second mRNA dose (or more than 2 months after the J&J vaccine) and not yet boosted, CDC now recommends quarantine for 5 days followed by strict mask use for an additional 5 days. Alternatively, if a 5-day quarantine is not feasible, it is imperative that an exposed person wear a well-fitting mask at all times when around others for 10 days after exposure. Individuals who have received their booster shot do not need to quarantine following an exposure but should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure. For all those exposed, best practice would also include a test for SARS-CoV-2 at day 5 after exposure. If symptoms occur, individuals should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19.

WEAR A MASK

Masks offer protection against all variants. CDC continues to recommend wearing a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high community transmission, regardless of vaccination status.

GET TESTED

Testing is very important to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. To schedule a test, call the WZZHC Covid-19 Hotline at (919) 287.0028.

Individuals with questions related to COVID-19, the COVID-19 vaccine, the COVID-19 booster, or scheduling a test, can call the WZZHC Covid-19 Hotline at (918) 287.0028. WZZHC is located at 715 Grandview Ave. in Pawhuska, Okla.