Get Boosted for a Better 2022

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As 2021 finally comes to a close, we end the year in better shape than last year, but with case rates still very high and literally no ICU beds available in Minnesota, healthcare leaders are literally begging people to get vaccinated. 

Minnesota saw a spike in cases post-Thanksgiving and in order to minimize another spike post Christmas and New Year’s, we all need to work together to keep one another safe and provide some much-needed relief to our frontline medical and healthcare workers. 

Minnesota is still dealing with a spike from the Delta variant, so vaccines are our most effective tool to prevent the virus spreading right now. If you don’t have a booster, all the information you need to get one is available here. 

While more research needs to be conducted on the efficacy of the various vaccines against the Omicron variant,  we do know that good-quality masks (KN95 or N95 are now widely available and we recommend using ProjectN95 if you want to have a reputable dealer online) are also key to helping prevent Minnesotans from becoming infected.

Also, the year-end travel season is upon us, so make sure to review the CDC’s guidelines for doing so safely.

We here at PFund wish everyone safe and happy holidays.

Tips for Gathering Safely this December

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With 2021 drawing to a close and the winter holiday season in full-swing, today’s post is a compilation of resources and guidance to help keep you safe as you socialize this holiday season.

In order to help protect yourself and your family, here’s a few things to keep in mind: 

  • Ditch the cloth mask and get serious about using KN95 or N95 masks when indoors with the general public. While medical-grade masks were in short-supply early in the pandemic, they no longer are. Be wary of counterfeits when ordering online; Project N95 is a nonprofit organization and reputable online seller of masks and other COVID-19 supplies. So far, the most comfortable N95 masks we’ve found are the duck-bill style that have straps that go fully around the head instead of the ears.
  • Get tested before getting together with family and friends. Rapid over-the-counter antigen tests are a great solution for this (as are in the mail-in PCR tests, but those require more advance planning). Walgreens will ship BinaxNow rapid-antigen tests (which are $24 for a package of two tests), or if you are looking for free tests, you can either use Vault’s at-home PCR saliva tests or go to one of Minnesota’s free testing sites. 
  • Get vaccinated/get a booster shot. Vaccines and boosters are one of the most effective tools we have at our disposal to get ourselves out of the winter COVID wave in which Minnesota is currently stuck. The CDC has a vaccine-finder tool that you can use for yourself or to help your friends and family across the country get vaccinated and boosted before participating in holiday travel and end-of-year celebrations.

We wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season.

The Omicron Variant and Digital Vax Advocacy Toolkit

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December has brought the unwelcome news that a newly-discovered variant of concern has been designed by the World Health Organization. The Omicron variant (and if you’re confused about the pronunciation, you’re not the only one) is so new that there is still much we simply don’t know about the new variant’s potential for harm. It will likely be at least several weeks until the scientific and public health communities have a better understanding of how worried we all should be and what actions we can take to gather safely as the holiday season approaches. 

One thing that we can all do right now is to keep ourselves informed from reliable sources. We at PFund, as we have mentioned in the past, are big fans of Andy Slavitt’s In the Bubble podcast. Two episodes that dropped recently are particularly informative.

First, Andy talks to Minnesota’s own Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at University of Minnesota gives a good overview of where things stand and the tools at our disposal to fight the virus (spoiler alert: get vaxxed and boosted, wear a mask indoors, and get tested). 

Second, Andy talks with epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina about what we do and don’t know about the new Omicron variant.

With the holiday season about to get very busy, we encourage everyone to get vaccinated or boosted NOW to help lessen the likelihood of transmission as the new year approaches. Minnesota Department of Health has released a social media toolkit for members of the public to use to advocate for vaccines. The toolkit resources are an easy way to help remind your friends and family to take precautions this holiday season and to support our doctors and nurses and healthcare systems by preventing a winter wave like the one we saw last year.  

COVID-19 Vaccine Approved for Children

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With the autumn season in full swing, those of us in Minnesota are approaching another notorious winter season. However, we are heading into the second winter of the pandemic with many more tools at our disposal:  for example, neither vaccines nor rapid tests were available to the average person this time last year. In 2021, we have booster shots, monoclonal antibodies, wide availability of high-quality protective gear (we have found the nonprofit organization Project N95 a great resource to order masks online), and perhaps most importantly: a CDC-approved vaccine for children ages 5 and older. 

This week on the blog, we’re offering a few resources to parents to help guide y’all through the process of getting your children vaccinated:

Washington Post Article on COVID-19 vaccine basics for children ages 5-11

In the Bubble Toolkit: Everything You Need to Know About Vaccinating Your Kid

Minnesota Department of Health Guidance on Vaccines for Children

For teens: The state of Minnesota is offering newly-vaccinated teens a chance to enter to win a $100,000 college scholarship. See the official drawing rules for more details.

Also, we’d like to give a friendly reminder to adults to check and see about your booster eligibility. We here at PFund had several staff members who received J&J shots in the past and have either already received a booster shot (that was me, I got a Moderna booster and flu shot at the same time and I felt low-key hungover for a few days, but otherwise fine) or will be getting a booster in the near future.

Stress and Fatigue

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October 8: Systematic Racism, Health Disparities, and COVID-19: Leading through Complex Trauma with Resilience and Hope Webinar

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How do seemingly unrelated but overwhelming global events connect to create complex trauma? How do we reckon with systemic racism, health disparities, COVID-19, and the unprecedented social and economic stress impacting individuals, families, and communities across cultures, generations, genders, and racial groups? Join us to learn about the tools for supporting individuals as they develop healing and resiliency around complex trauma.

Time: 2 – 3 p.m. CST

Speaker:

Linda Henderson-Smith, PH.D. LPC, Director, Children and Trauma-Informed Services, National Council for Behavioral Health

Elizabeth Guroff, MA, LCMFT, Director, Trauma-Informed Services, National Council for Behavioral Health

Amelia Roeschlein, DSW, MA, LMFT, Consultant, Trauma-Informed Services, National Council for Behavioral Health

Register for Systematic Racism Webinar

Sept. 30: Gender, Human Rights, and COVID-19 Webinar

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Wednesday, September 30, 2020, 1 – 2 p.m.

The coronavirus pandemic creates a perfect storm for exacerbating gender-based violence and discrimination. In every area—from employment to school closures to domestic violence to health outcomes—we see evidence of disproportionately negative impacts based on gender. These negative impacts are compounded by intersecting inequalities, including on the basis of race, socioeconomic status, disability, age, geographic location and sexual orientation, among others. Pandemic preparedness and response efforts must better understand these intersectional gender dimensions to avoid further widening inequalities. Presenters include Christina Ewig, Professor and Faculty Director of the Center on Women, Gender and Public Policy, University of Minnesota, Ruby H.N. Nguyen, Associate Professor in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota and Katie Spencer, Professor and Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at the Program in Human Sexuality, University of Minnesota. The session will be moderated by Rosalyn Park, Director of the Women’s Human Rights Program, The Advocates for Human Rights.

Register for Gender, Human Rights, and COVID-19 Webinar

Sept. 24: What Can We Learn from Crisis? Leadership, Post-Traumatic Growth and COVID-19 Webinar

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Our nation is experiencing a collective traumatic event, yet how we each manage this time will determine its individual and collective long-term impact. Explore the concept of post-traumatic growth and how to harness it to emerge from this crisis in a positive direction, both personally and professionally.

Time: 2-3 p.m. CST

Speakers:

Joe Parks, MD, Medical Director, National Council for Behavioral Health

Elizabeth Guroff, MA, LCMFT, Director, Trauma-Informed Services, National Council for Behavioral Health

Register for the “What Can We Learn from the Crisis” Webinar

Sept. 23: Systemic Racism, Disparities and Health: The Impact of COVID-19 on Latino Health

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Date and Time: September 23, 2020, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. CST

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the synergistic effects of systemic racism, combined with other factors, on the health of Latinos in the United States. Long-standing and ongoing social and economic inequities–including health literacy barriers, disproportionate employment as essential workers and limited access to employment and insurance benefits–leave Latinos at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 and having more severe cases of the disease. Latinos account for a disproportionate number of cases, are over 4 times as likely to be hospitalized than White Americans, and their share of COVID-19 related deaths is increasing.
This webinar will highlight effective strategies to address the negative impact that systemic racism, the challenges of immigration, language barriers and other factors have on the health and well-being of Latinos. Experts will share actionable, solutions-based approaches that can make a difference at the state and community level, including:

  • An overview of the health equity challenges and disparities impacting immigrant, border and Latino communities in the U.S. and increasing their risk of COVID-19
  • Grassroots and community efforts and effective methods of supporting uninsured Latino populations, including challenges around mental health and access to care
  • A health plan partnership to improve care delivery and their commitment to addressing health access and literacy among Florida’s Latino communities through community workers and outreach

A draft agenda of the Latino Health webinar is available on their website.

Register for The Impact of COVID-19 on Latino Health Webinar

Check out the first webinar in this series, Systemic Racism and Health: Solutions, Making Change Happen

Sept. 17: Advancing the Response to COVID-19

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Limited time left to register for Advancing the Response to COVID-19: Sharing Promising Programs and Practices for Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities, a virtual symposium hosted by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health.

Join on Sept. 17, 2020 to learn what national, state, tribal, and local experts are doing to lead efforts at all levels to confront the pandemic. 11 a.m. – 5 p.m CST.

Continuing education credit hours (CECH) for professionals who are Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) or Master CHES (MCHES) will be available. If interested in receiving credits, please provide your full name and CHES ID number to [email protected].

More information about the Advancing the Response to COVID-19 virtual symposium.

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